The New Addition
by Audra Kaiba
Summary: Sequal to Advent Adit. Ara McNeil moved away from Midgar a few months before Cloud disposed of the geostigma. Ara has been able to keep her geostigma a secret but it's getting worse. Rufus Shinra finds her and calls in Kadaj and his gang. YazooXOC KadajX
1. Chapter 1

Ara drummed her fingers lazily on the windowsill as she gazed out the window at the falling rain. From the looks of it, the horseshow would have to be held in the indoor arena later that day. Sighing heavily, Ara brushed her auburn hair out of her face. A horse show was the last place she wanted to be today.

The night before had been pretty rough, what with the nightmares and the strange, malevolent voice in her head. The voice had been there for almost 2 of her 18 years, whispering about nonsense of the past, and things soon to come. Telling Ara her part would soon come seemed to be the voices favorite thing to do. Seeing as it accomplished the task at least forty times a day. If Ara convinced it to shut up.

Standing, she stretched, popped her neck and walked to the bed where she flopped down on her back. Her two friends, who had accompanied her and her mother to the show, were downstairs in the lobby, undoubtedly in the arcade. Ara had been asleep when they departed, and was now alone with her mother.

Verifying that her mother wouldn't be out of the shower for a few more minutes, Ara ran up the left sleeve of her t-shirt, and removed the bandage on her shoulder. She grimaced. The geostigma didn't look any better than it had the day before. If anything, it appeared to have spread down the left side of her back.

Digging the ointment and another bandage out of her bag, Ara had it covered in a few moments. Not a second after she had fixed her sleeve, Emily and Charlene came through the door. On first glance they appeared to be only giggling. But Ara knew better. They had both had sugar, and at 8:00 in the morning, that wasn't good.

"Ara you're awake." Emily chirped, blonde ponytail swinging from side to side as she planted herself next to Ara on the bed.

"Thank you Miss Obvious." Ara muttered.

"We thought you were going to sleep all day," Charlene put in. Her midnight black hair was pulled back as well, except for two twin strands that framed her face.

Emily's crystal blue eyes met Charlene's emerald green gaze, and they started laughing again.

"What's so funny?" Ara's mother asked walking out of the bathroom, her light brown hair still glistening with water droplets as she toweled it dry.

"I'm not sure." Ara reported as Charlene nearly fell over and Emily rolled off the bed.

"Well we'll just have to let them laugh it out. You should get ready to go Ara, we have to be at the show by 9:00." Lynette told them.


	2. Chapter 2

"Good luck," Emily cheered as Ara placed her right foot in the stirrup and swung her left leg over her black Friesian's back.

"Just convince him to relax, remember he gets kind of spooked when you have to stop." Lynette reminded her daughter, as she checked Velocity's bridal.

"We'll be rooting for you." Charlene called over her shoulder as she and Emily headed for the bleachers.

"Be careful." Lynette added as the announcer signaled the riders to enter the arena. Ara nodded once before nudging Velocity forwards.

"Sir, why are we here again?" Reno grumbled wrinkling his nose at the smell of horse.

"Reno!" Rude nudged him, telling him to be quiet

"The Geostigma has not disappeared completely." Rufus Shinra's eyes darted over each rider as they put their horses through their paces. His gaze finally settled on Ara and Velocity. "Ara McNeil. She was not present when Cloud healed the children last year. She wasn't even in the city."

"How do you know she has the Stigma?" Reno asked maneuvering around a pile of manure and grimacing.

"I got a letter from her high school class, handwritten by her, complaining about how my company is taking away from the planet." Rufus pulled an envelope from within his jacket. "Take a look at the bottom left hand corner. See the residue?"

"Yeah." Reno replied.

"That's her there," Rufus inclined his head to her as she cantered past. "That letter was sent last month. She should be showing serious symptoms soon if she's still this active."

Ara winced as she pulled back lightly on the reigns, lining Velocity up with the other horses. The Geostigma was getting to her. Digging under her skin and sending sharp pains through her shoulder.

Shaking her head she tried to focus on the results being announced. This was her last class. She could go home after this.

"In 5th place we have Ronda Lien on Denmark Devyn, 4th is awarded to Kelly Craid with Midnight Shadow." Ara blinked rapidly and placed a hand on Velocity's neck to steady herself.

"In 3rd we have Mariah Akson on Pleasurable Lilly. 2nd goes to Anne Reia on Tiger Blade,"

Rufus saw Ara sway slightly and turned to Reno. "She's about to fall. I want you out there as soon as she tilts." Reno nodded showing he understood.

"And 1st place goes to Ara McNeil on Mac6 Velocity." As Ara guided Velocity forwards, her vision swam and flashes of blue tinted scenes flashed before her eyes. A pair of greeneyes bore into her. Their pupils vertical slits. Her own eyes began to burn until blackness consumed her and she fell.

Reno saw her eyes flutter before closing, and was over the fence in an instant, accidentally kicking a piece of horse crap at Rude who swore quietly. Reno had reacted so quickly that by the time she was falling, he caught her.

"Ara!" Emily, Charlene, and Lynette cried out in unison pushing their way through the gates as Reno carried Ara towards them.

Lynette reached Reno first and looked at her unconscious daughter, held in his arms. "Ara?" No reaction. She looked up at Reno. "How did you know?"

"I was watching her performance. When they lined up she seemed unfocused and was swaying slightly. When she started forwards I knew she wouldn't be able to keep her balance." Reno looked down at the girl in his arms. "We need to get her to a hospital."


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, I suppose I should have put a disclaimer on the first two chapters, but I forgot. -.- And since its pretty boring to just do it myself I gathered some volunteers. **

**Kadaj: _Volunteers_ my a! You threatened to sick our fangirls on us. **

**Yazoo: This is so not fair. **

**Loz: still knocked out X.X **

**Audra: Shut up and one of you do the disclaimer. **

**Kadaj: If I do the disclaimer will you let us go? **

**Audra: Maybe. crosses fingers behind back **

**Kadaj: Fine! Audra Kaiba does not own Final Fantasy VII or anything else related to it. She only owns her OCs. NOW LET ME GO! **

**Audra: laughs hysterically as she shows Kadaj crossed fingers Now on with the story. **

Ara awoke to find herself in a hospital bed. Her gaze swept the room until it landed on the door. Voices could be heard outside.

"I believe she's awake."

"Thank you Doctor Mailar, don't fetch her mother yet. I would like to speak with her first I know a group that can help her." Another voice that seemed somewhat familiar. The door opened and a man stepped into the room.

Ara recognized him at once. "Rufus Shinra?"

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

Ara watched him carefully as he took a seat in the chair nearby. "Fine."

"Good. But I suppose that the geostigma is still stinging, isn't it?" He studied her.

"Yes." Ara looked down at her shoulder. "Why are you here Mr. Shinra?"

"I have a proposition for you. The geostigma will only get worse, and there is no cure. There is a voice in your head, isn't there?" Ara nodded. "I know a group of people who can help you. But you would have to stay with them." _Assuming they'll help. _He thought inwardly.

"What did my mom say, when you told her I have the stigma?" Ara asked.

"We haven't told her. I figured if you had wanted her to know you would have told her earlier." Rufus replied.

"Who are these people, that can help me?" Ara asked finally looking up at him.

"I really can't explain it. You wouldn't know them. Does this mean that you accept my offer?" His eyes watched her face.

"If my mother agrees, I just want to be me again." Ara agreed.

"Good. I'll give them a call. I'll send your mother in now." He exited the room.

Ara looked out the window hoping that these people could help her. Oh how little she knew of what to come.

**Audra: Hahaha. Cliffhanger! **

**Kadaj: Will you let me go already. **

**Audra: No! Please read and reveiw. sad puppy dog eyes **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it's taken so long to update. My computer was having issues. mutters under breath Piece of shit! kicks computer. **

**Kadaj: Are you ever going to untie us? **

**Audra: think think, ponder ponder, No. **

**Yazoo: What if I do the disclaimer? **

**Audra: Go ahead. **

**Yazoo: Audra Kaiba owns nothing but her OCs. **

"Bull Shit." Kadai piped up watching Loz throw down his '3 Jacks'.

"Shut up!" Loz snapped at her.

"I'll go with her this time, she's been right every other time." Yazoo sighed. "Bull Shit."

"Damn it!" Loz growled. Kadai stuck her tongue out at him and giggled. "Kadaj, your sister is a pain."

"Don't I know it." He replied looking skywards.

"He's not gonna help you. He know I can kick his ass in battle." Kadai said smiling. Her silver hair swung around her shoulders as she turned and gazed back at the town they had just demolished, mint green eyes glinting with mischief.

"Little brat." Loz muttered.

Kadai ignored him. "Hey Kadaj, where are we headed next? I'm ready to set something else on fire."

"Oh hell, she's become a pyro." Loz grumbled. Kadai clonked him in the head with her boot.

Loz and Yazoo were sitting against their bikes and had been playing cards for the past hour while Kadaj lost himself in his mind or something along those lines. Kadai was seated on hertwin brother's bike, which was parked near Loz's and had been ensuring that Loz lost every game.

Suddenly Kadaj's cell phone rang, causing Kadai to tumble off the back of the bike. "Yeah? Who is this?Why should I? Good enough for me. Did she agree to this? Then we'll come get her." He hung up and turned to his team. "We have to pick someone up."

"Who?" Kadai asked reappearing on the other side of the bike. Dusting off her black jacket that she wore over her leather tube top. Her skintight leather pants and jackboots were equally dusty, but, then again,they always were.

"Some girl that still has geostigma. How we got dragged into it I have no clue." Kadaj muttered angrily.

"Shinra probably bribed him with a free trip to a bar." Loz muttered.

Yazoo and Kadai smacked him in the back of the head. "Let's move." Kadaj said stepping past his sister and getting on his bike. "Kadai you can ride one of the shadow demons to the edge of the city, then you'll have to ride with one of us."

One of the shadowy creatures (sorry I don't know what they're technically called. They chased Cloud at the beginning of Advent children) rose from the ground and shook itself free of dirt before lying down. Kadai swung her leg over it's back and it stood back up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Bwahahahaha. Two chapters in one night am I good or what? **

**Loz: Your hopeless. **

**Kadaj: I hope she didn't hear you. **

**Audra: thinks for a moment I have a deal for you all. If you can convince Sephiroth to come and do the disclaimer 27 times for this story, I'll let you go. If you can get him to do it once, I'll untie you. **

**Yazoo: Are you out of your freaking mind! He'll never agree to that!**

**Audra: Evil smirk Exactly. Now then... LOZ! **

**Loz: cringes Yes? **

**Audra: Do the disclaimer!**

**Loz: Audra Kaiba does not own Final Fantasy or any of its related characters. Hey wait a minute-, Audra claps hand over Loz's mouth.**

**Audra: On with the story!**

"What do you mean you have to go away?" Emily asked when Ara told them what Shinra had told her.

"I have to shake this thing off." Ara replied looking down at her shoulder.

"What is it?" Charlene asked. Ara still wouldn't tell them.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Ara touched her shoulder gently.

"That's it." Lynette stood up and walked right up to Ara, removed her hand from her shoulder and pulled the sleeve down. She removed the bandage and looked at the geostigma. "What's so bad about it? It looks just like an ordinary bruise."

Ara came to the resolution. "It's not a bruise. I asked the doctors not to tell you what it really is." She looked away. "I have, geostigma."

"What!" Emily squeaked. "That's deadly isn't it?"

"Isn't that an incurable disease?" Charlene asked.

"Yeah it is. Or it's supposed to be. It was only in my home city. I got it there. When we moved to Boston it came with me. It's been like this for almost a year." Ara relayed. "Mr. Shinra says he knows a group that can help me control it or something like that." She looked back up at her mother. "It's the best chance I've got, I have to go with them."

"Go with them? Why can't they help you here?" Lynette was slowly becoming frantic.

"I don't know." Ara replied. The door opened and Reno and Rude stepped in.

"They're here." Reno said. "Should I have them come in?"

"Please do." Lynette said stiffly.

"All right you…" Reno paused. "Four? Who's the new one?"

"Shut up and let us through." A voice snapped.

"Or do you want a repeat of what happened last time?"

"Ladies first." Reno mocked.

"Why you little-,"

"Loz let it go." Chirped a female voice.

"Brat."

"Oaf."

Four people entered the room and were closely followed by Shinra. "Mrs. McNeil, these are the four you daughter will be with."

Lynette stared in shock at them. "Why can't you help her here? Why does she have to go with you?"

"Look lady, we move from place to place. We don't stay in one place any longer than 24 hours." Loz said.

Kadai stepped on his foot. "You're so rude."

"I apologize for his rudeness." Kadaj stepped forwards. "But he's right. We can't stay in one place for very long. We have far to many enemies."

"Enemies? Why?" Lynette asked taking a step back as her eyes fixed on their weapons.

"We used to be bounty hunters," Kadai broke in. "We put away a lot of people. And their allies aren't pleased."

Lynette rounded on Shinra. "You plan to send my daughter with a group of bounty hunters."

"Ex-bounty hunters." Kadai reminded her cheerfully.

"I know what they are, and I assure you Mrs. McNeil, your daughter is in no danger with them. Kadai it there leader and was my apprentice at one point. I would trust her and her crew with my very life." Shinra lied easily sending a look towards Kadai that she got what she was supposed to be.

Lynette was far from reassured. "Where all do you go?"

Kadai shrugged. "It varies. We can try and stay in the general vicinity while Ara is with us, but we may have to expand out."

"I don't think-," Lynette began.

Mom!" Ara stood up suddenly. "I want to get rid of this. Or at lest get some help. My only shot at that is with these people."

"What about brother?" Loz asked.

"Loz!" Yazoo and Kadaj snapped.

"What? He could help her. He had it didn't he?" Loz protested against the death glares he was getting.

"He had it, but he didn't control it." Kadaj snapped.

"He let it consume him, and waited for us to bring on the rain." Yazoo added in a low, warning tone.

"Who are you talking about? Someone close by?" Lynette demanded.

"He lives on the other side of the country. And he's useless." Shinra added. "Mrs. McNeil, I understand you are frazzled by this whole ordeal but I give my word that your daughter will be safe with this group.

"What is your word to me?" Ara's mother took a step forwards but paused as Emily and Charlene skirted into the room. "Where have you two been?"

"Ara told us to-,"

"I told them to go get my stuff out of the car." Are replied for them. She took the suitcase and went into the bathroom that connected to her room.

"Mrs. Lynette, I think she's pretty much hell bent on going." Charlene noted.

"But why?" Emily asked. "Why does she insist on going?"

"Having geostigma, as a teenager, is hard." Kadai said. "I had it when I was 19, and it kept me from doing everything. I had it on my hand and had to where gloves to school. But if the stigma attacked ferociously, it melted my glove."

"But still, can't she just find a way to treat it here?" Charlene asked.

"You don't treat Geostigma." Kadaj said. "The planet is angry thanks to Shinra. It uses the geostigma to strike back at humanity. You can learn to control it, but other than that, there's no cure."

"So she'll have the geostigma all her life?" Emily asked.

"Yes." Yazoo replied. "Kadai show them."

Kadai nodded and removed her left glove. "You see, it will always be there, but I have controlled it so it has faded away for the most part." Her whole hand was covered in what looked like light splotches of mud.

Lynette's hand flew to her mouth and she backed up a little.

"Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks." Kadai said cheerfully as she replace the glove. She looked back up as Ara emerged from the bathroom. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah." Ara replied, shouldering her black backpack.

"Why did you have a backpack with you?" Emily asked as Ara handed the suitcase to them.

Ara looked away. "You were going to run, weren't you?" Charlene asked.

"Yeah. I was." She looked back up at the Advent gang. "But I guess that's not an option now is it?"

"No not really." Kadai chirped.

"Now wait just a minute-," Lynette interrupted. But Ara cut her off.

"Mom! I'm going with them, like it or not." Ara met her mother's eyes, her own flaming.

"I like this girl." Yazoo muttered to Loz.

"We can either part on good terms or on bad. But I'm going." Ara said defiantly.

Lynette pursed her lips and looked around the room at the people watching her. "Fine you can go." She turned on Kadaj's gang. "But if one hair is out of place when she gets back-,"

"I assure you, she'll be fine." Kadai said.

"Be careful." Lynette pulled Ara into a hug and held onto her tightly.

"Come back soon. Okay?" Emily told her, embracing her as her mother let go.

"Don't forget about us." Charlene said. Wrapping an arm around Ara's shoulders and giving them a squeeze. Charlene had never been the type to give hugs.

"Take care. Both of you." Ara told Emily and Charlene.

Reno walked forwards and handed Ara a silver razor, identical to Kadaj's and the others. "Good luck."

"Thank you. For catching me." Ara smiled up at him.

"Your welcome. My cell number, Rude's, and Shinra's are saved in the memory." He indicated the phone. "If you need to call don't hesitate."

"I won't."

"Can we go now?" Whined Loz. Kadai smacked him.

"We really should get moving." Kadaj said quietly. "If that's okay."

Ara nodded looking at her mother who looked on the verge of tears. "I'll be home soon." Lynette pulled her daughter into another bone crunching hug.

"Call every day. Okay?" Ara nodded, knowing she wouldn't. Just as she knew she wouldn't be returning home.

"Ara?" Kadai laid a hand on her shoulder. "We need to get moving."

Ara nodded and followed the Advents out the door, friends and family following her down to the street. Lynette looked as though she was about to interfere when she saw Kadaj mount his bike.

"Yazoo, ride with Loz, it'll look less suspicious that way." Kadai whispered to him. "Ara you'll ride with me, I don't trust the boys not to get you killed." It was a joke of course, but Lynette paled.

"Hey, Emily?" She looked up at Ara. "Call Pete and tell him to move on." She had been dating Pete Lane for almost a month.

Kadai started up the bike. "Ara."

"I'm coming." She mounted the bike behind Kadai before waving one final time.

"Good lord, I thought we'd never get out of there." Loz muttered as they coasted down the highway.

"Hey Kadai can I ask you something?" Ara asked.

"Shoot." She replied.

"Will I be coming back sometime within the next year?" Ara inquired.

"Most likely not. It could take a while for Kadaj to show you the ropes." Kadai answered.

"He's the real leader, right? Shinra and you guys made up all that stuff to get me out didn't you?"

"This girl's good." Yazoo muttered.

"Got that right." Loz agreed.

"Yes, Kadaj is the real leader. He's also my brother. We're not bounty hunters, we're," She looked over at Loz and Yazoo. "What exactly are we?"

"Jenova's remnants." Yazoo answered. "Something along those lines."

"Yeah, what he said." Kadai said. "You'll like our 'boss'."

"Just don't develop a crush. Kadai's a tough opponent when she gets defensive." Yazoo taunted.

"Shut up Yazoo." Kadai snapped, but Ara could see her blush slightly.

**Audra: So how did you like it? Good? Bad? Oh who cares. You flame me I fight back to justify actions. Just a warning to you all. In the mean time you can all try and picture a chibi version of Loz with ducktape securely fastened around his mouth while he is tied up and thrown in a closet somewhere where no one will ever find him. Bwahahahaha. Reveiw people. Before I sick Kadaj on you. **

**Kadaj: I'm not going to do anything. **

**Audra: Oh really? sly look **

**Kadaj: Shit.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm sorry I havn't updated in a while! I've just had a lot to do and my computer is being a pain. **

**Kadaj: Slacker. **

**Audra: You little-, **

**Sephiroth: Do I want to know what's going on here? **

**Audra: blinks Sephiroth is here on my disclaimer? falls over out cold **

**Kadaj: Yay! Sephiroth will you untie me? Please? **

**Sephiroth: No. **

**Yazoo: I mine as well do it. Audra Kaiba does not own Final Fantasy VII or any of it's characters.**

"So this is who Shinra was talking about when he called me." Sephiroth noted as he looked down at Ara.

Ara stared back up at him. She was well aware that she was tall, the tallest in her senior year to be exact, but standing in front of Sephiroth, she felt really, really, short.

"Yep this is she." Kadai piped up.

"Interesting." Sephiroth was making her feel as though she was under a microscope. "Give her the room next to Kadaj." He turned and disappeared into the two-story house.

"So how do you feel after you first meeting with Sephiroth?" Kadaj asked

"Short. Very, short." Ara said meekly.

"And obviously timid." Yazoo put in as they climbed the stairs. "She didn't twitch the whole time he was looking at her."

"I'm not afraid of him, if that's what your getting at." Ara said indignantly.

"You should be." Loz muttered.

"He's kicked Loz's ass pretty good." Yazoo said.

"Yazoo, that's not hard to do." Kadaj reminded him. Loz grumbled something about getting no respect, before branching off into his room.

Yazoo followed suit, going into the room next to Loz's. Kadaj muttered a good night to the two girls before opening the door of another room and disappearing.

"He doesn't talk much does he?" Ara asked as Kadai led her into the room next to Kadaj's.

"He does, but he doesn't really like strangers." Kadai explained. "This is your room. We really don't have a schedule. You get up when you want to, go to bed when you want. The rooms are soundproof, fireproof. Basically you could set off a bomb in here and it wouldn't wake up any of us. Or demolish the house."

"So I'm more or less free?" Ara asked.

"Yeah. Sephiroth doesn't like any of us to be out of the house any later than midnight though, but other than that you're free to do whatever." Kadai shrugged.

"This may sound childish, but where's your room?" Ara asked.

"Other side of Kadaj's. I'm not sure why he gave me that room, since I'm the favorite out of the boys." Kadai muttered. "You've got a nice view of the river from here. Kadaj and I have a big ass tree blocking out views, and Loz and Yazoo's side just faces the wasteland."

"We can trade rooms, I don't mind." Ara said.

Kadai shook her head. "Sephiroth is very precise about where everyone's rooms are. He'll kill us if we switch."

"Okay,"

"I'll take you shopping tomorrow. And we'll need to spruce up the room. Think about what color you want to paint it. We get so bored between deployments, we all need something to do. Loz and Yazoo are hopeless when it comes to design, but I almost got into an art school." Kadai told her, starting for the door. "Night!"

"Good night." Ara replied, as Kadai closed the door behind her.

"Is she settled?" Kadai jumped as Sephiroth appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes sir." Kadai replied. "I think you scared her a bit. She said she feels short."

"She is. And you're shorter." Sephiroth turned and left.

Kadai scowled after him before going into her own room.

**Yazoo: rolls eyes And she still hasn't woken up yet. **

**Kadaj: That means we could escape. Sephiroth come on, please untie us! **

**Sephiroth: No. I enjoy watching you suffer. **

**Yazoo: Oh boy. Well Audra Kaiba would probably like it if you reviewed so give it a shot and maybe she'll wake up. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, I don't know if I got any reveiws I just woke up. Why was I passed out again? **

**Sephiroth: I beleive it had something to do with me showing up. **

**Audra: O.O When did you get here? **

**Sephiroth: The last disclaimer. **

**Yazoo: Remember, you passed out. **

**Audra: Oh yeah. **

**Kadaj: Say Audra, since Sephiroth finally came, are you going to untie us now. **

**Audra: If he'll do it once. **

**Kadaj: Please/Begs/ **

**Sephiroth: Whatever. Audra Kaiba does not own Final Fantasy though she wishes she did. **

**Audra/desends into void of gloom/ **

"You really don't have to do this." Ara protested as Kadai dragged her into a hardware store.

"Nonsense. You can't just have plain white walls." Kadai said as she marched off to find the paint section. "Now then, what color do you want your walls to be?"

"Dark blue, but you don't have to-,"

"Which shade?" Kadai asked.

Ara gave up trying to reason with the girl and picked out a color. They bought the paint and then Kadai dragged her off to a clothing store.

By the time they got home, Ara was laden with clothes bags, and her feet were killing her.

"Good grief Kadai, is Ara under all that?" Loz asked as he passed them on the stairs. Ara heard the unmistakable sound of Loz being slapped before they continued on.

"Just hang everything up, we'll start painting tomorrow. I'll order pizza, come on down when you're done." Kadai told her before going back down stairs.

Ara was just finishing putting the last pair of designer jeans in a drawer when Kadaj walked in and leaned against the doorframe.

"How did your shopping go with Kadai?" He asked.

"Fine, except for the fact my feet are sore." Ara replied.

"Just wait until she takes you furniture shopping."

"I wish she wouldn't make such a fuss over me." Ara muttered.

"Kadai is just like that. She wants to help her friends and has a tendency to be a little to protective." Kadaj shrugged and Ara noticed how alike they looked. "She's so different from me. If we didn't look the same, you wouldn't know we were related."

"Are you twins?" Ara had been wondering this for quite some time.

"Yeah, but I'm older by an hour." Kadaj replied.

"KADAJ, ARA! DINNERS HERE!" Loz shouted up the stairs.

"Coming." Kadaj called back. "Come on."

"You three are helping us paint tomorrow right?" Kadai asked as they all stood or sat in the kitchen.

Loz was sitting backwards in his chair, Yazoo was leaning his chair back on two legs, and Kadaj was leaning against the counter. Ara had taken a seat next to Yazoo, while Kadai was sitting on the counter. All were eating pizza.

"Hey, where's Sephiroth?" Ara asked after a moment.

"Doing something in his office. Most likely searching for the next target." Kadai replied, and then swore quietly as she burned herself picking up a second piece of pizza.

"Target?" Ara asked.

"You'll see. You don't by any chance like destruction do you?" Yazoo inquired.

Ara gave him a blank look. "Yazoo pipe down." Loz said from across the table.

"Are you three going to help us paint tomorrow or not?" Kadai asked again.

"I suppose," Kadaj glared at Yazoo and Loz. "As long as those two don't start a paint war. Again."

"Those two will start a war with anything." Kadai told Ara who was looking between the three boys questioningly.

**Sorry it's so short. I'll update soon. **

**Kadaj & Yazoo: Untie us!**

**REVEIW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Well sadly enough I had to untie Kadaj and Yazoo /sigh/ **

**Sephiroth: What did that have to do with me? **

**Audra: Nothing. **

**Kadaj: Where's Loz? **

**Audra: Um...I don't remember where I put him. **

**Kadaj: Oh boy. **

**Audra: Well, while Yazoo, Kadaj and myself go look for Loz, Sephiroth can you do the disclaimer. **

**Sephiroth: Audra Kaiba owns nothing but her OCs**

**Audra: Thank you!**

"I knew it." Kadaj muttered angrily as they trudged out of Ara's room. "I knew they would do it."

"I should rip them limb from limb." Kadai growled trying, without much success to get the blue paint off her arms. As Kadaj had predicted, Loz and Yazoo had created a paint war. Only when Ara dumped a whole can of paint on them did they admit defeat.

"At least Ara handled it well." Kadaj muttered.

"I'm taking a shower after Yazoo gets out." Kadai told Kadaj in a warning tone.

"I'll take mine last. Ara can go before me." Kadaj said icily.

"You're such a gentlemen Kadaj," Kadai said sweetly then scurried into her room as Kadaj glared at her.

"No you go ahead. Your worse off than I am." Ara said, poking her head out of her room.

"You sure?" Kadaj asked.

"Yeah." Ara said going back into her room

Surprisingly, Ara only had paint on her hands. She hadn't been anywhere near Loz and Yazoo at first. She had been in the bathroom when the war began, and had summed up the situation in a glance when she walked back in. Kadai had already told her they had two extra cans of paint, so she took one of the opened ones and dumped it over Yazoo's and Loz's heads.

Ara had to admit, the looks on their faces had been a Kodak moment. They had both stood stock still for a moment and blinked repeatedly, before it registered in their minds and they started swearing loudly.

Even Sephiroth had heard the commotion and come up from whatever part of the house he stayed in, to tell them to shut up. Needless to say, they did so on command. Sephiroth was clearly not in a good mood, at the time and no one wanted to be eaten for dinner. Fried.

Ara smiled to herself as she closed her door. As scary as he was, Sephiroth was very intimidating and pretty good-looking. She also found it funny how the entire household jumped on his command. He reminded her of an army general with a bunch of well-trained Marines.

Shaking her head, she picked up the roller and took care of the small space of wall they had left unpainted. It took about 10 minutes and by that time she was a bit hungry. She put down the paint roller and put the tops back on the paint cans. After registering that everything was closed and the walls were finished she gathered it all up and took it to the storage closet at the end of the hall where Kadai had told it they would keep it all.

She closed the closet door and was just heading for the stairs when the bathroom door opened and Kadaj stepped out, dressed in a different pair of black pants, seeing as how his other clothes were painted almost solid blue, and was just pulling his black t-shirt over his head when Ara passed.

She had barely glanced at him, but she still glimpsed the six-pack he had. Ara skittered downstairs, feeling a slight color coming to her face for some reason she didn't understand.

She entered the kitchen to find Kadai cooking fried chicken, and Yazoo sorting through the mail that had been lying on the counter top. Obviously both were in a discussion and hadn't noticed her, even when she leaned against the counter right behind them.

"You know as well as I do that Kadaj would kill me. Even if I did consider." Kadai was saying as she pushed the mutilated poultry in the oven and began fiddling with the temperature dials.

"You don't have to say yes it was just a simple question." Yazoo replied casually, flicking the mail back on the counter. "Sephiroth won't be pleased. He's got 6 fan letters and 2 checks."

"Scheduling a date I presume?" Said a voice from behind Ara, causing her to squeak in surprise and turn around to find Sephiroth had entered the kitchen.

Yazoo said nothing but looked away sheepishly, while Kadai turned scarlet. Sephiroth smirked at their reactions and strode forwards, passing Ara and picking up the mail. His green eyes traveled over several envelopes and they all saw his left eye begin to twitch slightly.

"Damn fangirls." He muttered angrily. "How did they even get the address? Oh look, Kadaj got one to." Sephiroth walked over to the trashcan and tossed in about 6 letters hand addressed and kept a hold of 3. One he tossed on the kitchen table and he took the other two with him as he left.

Kadai looked up only when Sephiroth was gone. This was also the time that Kadaj walked in through the other doorway. He looked at his sister, who was still blushing crimson, and lifted an eyebrow.

"Do I want to know?" He asked. "Most likely not." He glanced at the letter on the table. "Oh god not another one." He wadded up the note and tossed it to the trashcan, over handed, and it landed in neatly.

"Bet you couldn't pull that off again." Loz said walking in from the stairs.

"Shut up. I want to see you do it." Kadaj snapped.

**Well thats all for now. Meaning I'm going to be updating more chapters today. :) Well Yazoo, Kadaj, and I are still searching for Loz, but in the mean time, leave a reveiw telling me what you think. And no flames. Thank you for reading. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Guess what? We found Loz! He was thrown in a closet that I didn't even know I had in my house, and had his mouth ducktaped shut. Needless to say, we had to leave him tied up until we got him back to the computer room. (he was trying to kill me, Kadaj and Yazoo.) But Sephiroth seems like such a threat to him that now he won't even twitch. **

**Kadaj/looks disaprovingly at Loz/ Your such a chicken**

**Sephiroth/shakes head/ Remnants. **

**Audra: Okay Sephiroth, do the discla-**

**Yazoo: NO! I want to do it. **

**/Everyone stares at Yazoo/ **

**Audra: Okay Yazoo go ahead **

**Yazoo: Audra Kaiba does not own Final Fantasy she only owns her OCs /Starts bouncing off the walls/ **

**Everone else: O.o? **

After they finished dinner they were all sitting in the living room in front of the TV talking until Sephiroth showed up. As usual no one even heard or saw him come in, and nearly had heart attacks when he spoke.

"We have a new target." He said from his place leaning against the doorway.

"Where?" Kadaj asked, looking up from the TV.

"South of Midgar." Sephiroth looked over them all before his eyes settled on Ara who was seated next to Kadai on the couch. "Do you know how to use a sword, or any other piece of weaponry?"

Ara blinked in surprise. "No."

Sephiroth was clearly not pleased. "Kadaj, start training her with a sword, Yazoo with a gun. Kadai, Loz, try and track down Cloud Strife. You leave next week." He turned and walked out.

"He wants me to learn how to use a sword and a gun in one week?" Ara squeaked.

"Yeah, evidentially." Kadai replied, before looking at Loz. "Who's Cloud Strife?"

"Sephiroth's archenemy. Something like that. Sephiroth probably wants something to kill." Loz replied.

"This is going to interfere with finishing your room." Kadai muttered to Ara.

"It's no big deal. You really shouldn't be troubling yourself." Ara said.

"But it's so fun." Kadai said cheerfully.

The next day

"So what exactly are we 'targeting'?" Ara asked as she tried to block Kadaj's swing and promptly dropped the sword.

"Sephiroth has a title to keep up. He has us go out and destroy things a couple times a month." Kadaj replied, moving to the side as Ara attempted to slash at him. She fell past him clumsily and grumbled something about it being pointless.

Kadaj held out a hand and pulled her back to her feet. "How is your geostigma doing?"

Ara glanced up in surprise from dusting off her jeans. "About the same. I keep applying the ointment and taking pain killers, so it's not that bad."

"Glad to hear it. Can you even lift that sword?" He added as she struggled to pull it up.

"Not well." She muttered.

"Well you could have told me." Kadaj said, walking across the training room to a large cabinet set against the wall. He opened the door and Ara gaped at the array of weapons. Swords of every size imaginable, knives, shurikens, axes, crossbows, and guns.

"Is there any kind of weapon you don't have in there?" She managed.

"Only a few." Kadaj replied, pulling out another sword and handing it to her. "See how you fair with that one."

Ara pulled it from its sheath and found it was much lighter than her previous blade. "This is much better."

"You going to be able to fight with it?" Kadaj watched her as she did a few parts of a warm up he had taught her.

"Yeah." She replied looking back at him and sheathing it.

"Good." He closed the door and walked back to the space marked by tape on the floor in a square.

Ara faired much better with this sword than with the other. She was able to block Kadaj's attacks successfully and get in a few of her own.

A few hours later, Yazoo began working with her in shooting. He taught her the many parts of a gun at first and how to take it apart and put it back together. He then set up targets and had her shoot at them. Ara didn't do as well as he had hopped, but she at least grazed the designated targets. Unlike Kadai who had nearly shot Kadaj.

"Good, that enough for today, we'll continue tomorrow." He replaced the gun she had been using in the cabinet and replaced his in its holster.

Ara followed him out of the basement and back to the first floor. They both walked upstairs just in time to hear Kadai scream and come flying out of her room. She looked at Yazoo and Ara with a pleading look and Yazoo sighed.

"Kill it. Please." Kadai said fearfully.

"Not again Kadai. You can take on 30 men with swords but you can't take on an arachnid?" He walked into her room. "Where is it?"

"In the corner by the bed, on the left hand side." Kadai managed weakly.

"You have got to be kidding me. It's the size of a dime." They heard Yazoo muttered.They heard the sound of a magazine being slammed against the wall.He walked back out of the room and sent Kadai an annoyed look.

"So what's going on?" Ara asked.

"I have a minor problem with spiders." Kadai said quietly.

Yazoo snorted. "That's a hell of an understatement."

"What the hell is going on up here?" Kadaj asked from the top of the stairs.

"Take a guess." Yazoo said sarcastically, before going into his room.

"Not again Kadai. Come on, you've got to learn to deal with them." Kadaj said miserably.

"It's not my fault they keep coming in my room." Kadai said indignantly.

"No, but it is your fault that your screaming wakes up the whole house at 5 in the morning." Kadaj pointed out.

Kadai crossed her arms and glared at her twin, before walking down stairs. "You might want to be careful what you eat for dinner Kadaj."

"Whatever." Kadaj replied. He looked at Ara who still had a perplexed look on her face. "She'll be fine, just make sure your food is cooked properly." He walked into his own room, leaving Ara to wonder what she had gotten herself into. She had been here almost a week and already, things were starting to get creepy.

How did Sephiroth keep up this 'title' Kadaj had told her about? And what was with all the weapons and the two boys having to train her. And the biggest question of all, why did Ara feel the heat on her face rise slightly whenever Kadaj walked into the room.

Shaking her head she entered her own room and flopped down on the bed. She glanced at the cell phone on her bedside table. She needed to talk to someone outside of the house. Scooping up the phone she flipped it open and dialed in the area code then paused. Who could she call? She wasn't going to call her mother. What would she say?

'_Hi mom it's me. Yeah I just wanted to let you know, I wont be coming home for the holidays. Or the rest of my life. And those people you sent me with. There not bounty hunters_.' That would go over really well with Lynette. Not.

Emily and Charlene would want to know everything that was going on, it was quite clear that they liked Yazoo and Kadaj, and she didn't want to tell them everything. There had to be someone that she could call. Someone...

An idea suddenly popped into her head. Reno. He knew about Kadaj and the group. And he wouldn't be that worried about her. He also seemed like a nice guy and probably a good friend once you got to know him. She scanned through the numbers in her address book on the phone and glanced at the clock. It was 4:23 so Reno would be at work since it was Thursday.

She selected the 'Reno Work' option and held the phone to her ear. The line rang and she began fiddling with a string coming out of her bed spread.

"Shinra Electric Company, Tsung speaking, can I help you?" Came a male voice.

"Can I speak to Reno please?" She asked hesitantly.

"Um, sure. Name please." He sounded slightly shocked.

"Ara McNeil." She replied.

"Hold on one moment. Hey Reno there's a Ara McNeil on line 3 for you!" He called.

The line picked up and she heard another phone being set down. "So how's it been going?" Reno's friendly voice asked.

"Fine. I'm kind of disturbed." She replied laughing.

"By what?" Reno sounded suddenly concerned.

"It's nothing big don't worry." She heard him sigh and relax. "I'm just not used to being away from home this long and Loz and Yazoo are scaring me a bit."

"Well those two are a bit creepy. Especially Loz. He's a bit of a bully but he's a softy if you press his buttons just right. So how have you been?"

"I've been doing well, they haven't starved me to death, but how are you? You sound stressed." Ara asked.

"You have no idea. I've been running all over the building delivering papers to all the different offices and Tsung, my boss, had forbidden me to take short cuts or take time to flirt with the secretaries." He grumbled.

"Poor Reno." Ara said in mock sympathy. "I feel so sorry for you."

"Evil person." Reno muttered.

"Reno who is that? You didn't actually manage a date did you?" Tsung called in the background.

"Oh my god. Are you kidding me?" Ara muttered as Reno promptly went into a fit of laughing.

"Oh that was a good one Tsung." Reno obviously had dropped the phone judging from the loud clatter and thud.

"Reno." No answer, though his laughter was quite audible. "Reno, get a grip. RENO!" Ara yelled into the phone.

"Yeah, sorry about that but that was to funny." He was still chuckling. "So how does Saturday night sound?" He joked.

"You have lost it. Would you get a grip?" Ara asked, amused, though concerned for Reno's mental health.

"Sorry. Oh you should see the look Tsung is giving me." He cackled.

"Does your cell phone have a camera?" She asked.

"Oh yeah. Tsung hold that stance. Here we go. Okay your good." He began talking to Ara again. "Okay, want me to send it to you?"

"Wasn't that the whole point of taking it?" Ara asked. She suddenly looked up as her door opened slowly and Kadai looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Who is that?" The silver hair girl mouthed.

"Reno." Ara mouthed back. Kadai gave her a quizzical look. "The red head from the hospital." Kadai nodded and gave Ara a thumbs up.

"We're going into town to eat so hurry it up." She told her and walked back out.

"Sorry about that. What were you saying?" Ara said to Reno who had been chatting in her ear and she hadn't heard him.

"Oh boy. I said, when are you coming into town?" Reno replied.

"We're about to go into town now for dinner but other than that I have no idea." Ara sighed. "They've been training me with weaponry and Sephiroth has told them to have me trained by the end of the week."

"Sephiroth's there?" Reno asked.

"Yeah. What do you know about him?" Ara asked.

"Well he hates Shinra I know that. Be careful around him. He's powerful." Tsung's voice was heard, though slightly muffled. "Hey look, sorry Ara but I got to go. Tsung's sending me on more delivery duty. Don't hesitate to call okay?"

"No problem. Say high to Rude and Rufus for me." Ara said brightly.

"Will do. Later."

"Bye." They both hung up.

**I think that's my longest chapter yet. **

**Loz: YOU THREW ME IN A CLOSET! **

**Audra: Alright who took the tape off his mouth?And what the hell is wrong with Yazoo. **

**Kadaj/watches said remnant bounce from wall to wall floor to ceiling/ Best bet is, he found some sugar. Yazoo on a sugar high is not good. **

**Audra:Great. So I'vegot a hyper Yazoo, a pissed off Loz, and a bored Sephiroth. **

**Kadaj: What about me? **

**Audra: You're acting more or less normal. **

**Kadaj: Should I take that as a compliment or an insult? **

**Audra/shrugs/ take your pick. Anyways, I need reveiws people. Good or bad I don't care, but if you flame me... I'll send Yazoo after you. And trust me, he's scary when he's on a sugar high. Thanks for reading. :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**/Twitches angrily/ And Yazoo is still bouncing around. How do you get him to stop? **

**Kadaj: Usually we just wait for it to wear off. **

**Audra/fearful/ How long does that usually take? **

**Kadaj: 2 to 4 days. **

**Audra/sweatdrop/ Anyways. Here's the next chapter. Will somebody do the diclaimer? **

**Sephiroth: I'll do it. Audra Kaiba owns nothing. **

**Audra: Except my OCs! You can't forget that part!**

"Enjoy your chat?" Loz mocked when Ara finally came downstairs.

Kadai smacked him. "Be nice."

"You're telling me." He shot back.

"Alright you two that's enough. Where are we eating have we decided that yet?" Kadaj asked. Blank looks from everyone. "Oh boy. Kadai, Ara, one of you pick somewhere."

Ara held up both hands. "Don't look at me, I don't know my way around here."

Kadai thought for a moment. "I know! Follow me." She walked out the door and, after trading slightly stunned looks, the rest followed.

"Where are we going?" Kadaj demanded of his sister when they reached the garage.

"You'll see." Kadai said. "Ara, you ride with Kadaj, I'll ride with Yazoo."

Ara silently reminded herself to kill Kadai later. "Okay, sure."

Loz was snickering quietly as Kadai mounted Yazoo's bike behind him. Everyone stared at him with raised eyebrows.

"Loz, are you mentally okay?" Kadaj asked.

"I'll be fine." Loz told him, smirking at Kadai and Yazoo who ignored him.

Starting up his bike, Kadaj led the group out of the garage and headed for the main road. Kadaj was focused on the road, but still aware of everything else.

"Alright, Ara, you might want to hold onto me, these roads are pretty sharp." He revved the engine and shot out of the driveway, causing Ara to fall forwards and have to wrap her arms around his waist to stay on. "Told you." By this point Ara was blushing furiously.

"So where are we going?" Ara yelled over the engine.

"I don't know for sure, but I figure that Kadai is dragging us to Sonic. She's addicted to the place." Kadaj replied. "I'll have her and Yazoo take the lead when we get to town."

"Right." Ara said.

"Hey can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Ara replied, surprised that he was talking so much.

"You don't seem like you want to go back home. I mean, I would think that you would want to run away at the first chance you got. Why have you stuck around for so long?"

Ara thought for a minute, asking herself the same question. "I don't know. I guess I just prefer to stay with you guys. Back home, my mom is constantly controlling my life, and my dad is always gone. With this group, I have more freedom, and most of you are nice."

"Well Loz is a bit of a pain, but you'll learn to put up with him. You could just start smacking him like Kadai does." Kadaj recommended.

"I don't think he'd appreciate that." Ara said, smiling slightly.

"You know," Kadaj said after a few moments of silence. "We could take a detour home after our mission and stop by your old city if you want. If you want to."

"Sure." Ara replied. "By the way, what's going on with Kadai and Yazoo?"

"Oh that, so you did notice. Well those two have had a bit of a thing for about a month. I haven't said anything to Kadai, but she's still terrified I'll kill her if she goes out with him." Kadaj sounded amused. "Personally I don't care."

A Few days later

"You'll be fine, stop worrying about it." Kadai told Ara. It was the night before their deployment, that no one had given Ara any more information on, and Ara was nervous beyond all reason.

"You all want me to fight people to the death. How can I not worry about it?" Ara grumbled.

"How have you been progressing with your training?" Kadai asked.

"I'm better with a gun than with a sword." Ara replied.

"Then this time you'll probably stick with Yazoo. He's the marksman of the group. You'll be fine. Trust me." Kadai reassured her.

Kadaj walked into the living room and looked at the two girls on the couch. "Is she still nervous?" Kadai nodded. "Then leave her alone Kadai. If you start talking about it it'll just end up making her even more nervous."

"Whatever." Kadai grumbled. "I'm going to bed." She stood up and walked out.

"Don't let the spiders get you!" Kadaj called after her.

"Shut up!" Kadai yelled back.

"I should probably get some sleep to." Ara said, standing up and stretching. As she walked past him, Kadaj reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"You have nothing to worry about. None of us are going to let anything happen to you." Kadaj met her eyes and she suddenly felt a good deal better.

"What time to I need to be ready to go?" Ara asked.

"About 5:00. It'll take about an hour to get there and we want to attack with the morning light behind us." Kadaj told her. Ara nodded and left, thinking about what he had said.

'None of us are going to let anything happen to you.' Was it just her mind playing tricks on her, or had he seemed as though he was saying _he _wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Ara rolled her eyes at her own fantasies and continued to her room, only to find Kadai rummaging through her closet.

"What are you doing?" She asked. It wasn't that she really cared what the older girl was doing, but she was curious.

Kadai didn't even turn around. "We didn't get you a leather outfit did we?"

"Um, no." Ara replied.

"Damn it." Kadai muttered. "What size pants to you where?"

"2 or a 3." Ara replied, momentarily confused.

"Good, I'll be right back." Kadai walked out and then returned a few minutes later with a pair of black leather pants and a long sleeved leather top that stopped 5 inches from the waist. "Try these on. If they fit, wear them tomorrow. If not, just make sure to wear black."

"Okay, do you want me to put on a bunch of black makeup while I'm at it." Ara kidded, smiling.

"Yes." Kadai said. "Just make sure it is long lasting and waterproof."

"I don't have any black makeup." Ara said, trying to get it through that she had been joking.

"I'll help you with that tomorrow." Kadai told her. "See you in the morning." She walked out, closing the door behind her.

Ara sighed heavily and turned out the light before climbing into bed, hoping she would die in her sleep.

**So the next chapter is going to be the attack on the vila- /Kadaj claps hand over Audra's mouth/ **

**Kadaj: You don't want to give it away now do you? **

**Audra: Mmmm-hmmn**

**Kadaj: What? Shit/withdraws handand rubs it/You bit me. **

**Audra/smirking/ I tried to warnyou. **

**Kadaj: Whatever. **

**Audra/sticks tongue out at Kadaj/Alright,thisis the lasttimeI'm going to say this: Review. No flames.End of story.Thank you. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry it took me so long. We've been trying to calm down Yazoo. /sweatdrop/ It's not working to well. **

**Kadaj/wacks Yazoo repeatedly over head with Mallet/ What does it take to knock you out! **

**Sephiroth: I don't think that's going to work. He always had a thick skull. **

**Audra/rolls eyes/ Will someone do the disclaimer. **

**Sephiroth: Will you go get me a book to read? **

**Audra: Just do the disclaimer. /walks out of room to find book on death and distruction for Sephiroth/ **

**Sephiroth/smirks/ Audra Kaiba does not own Final Fantasy VII. Thank God. **

Ara got up at 3:30, only to find the house still and silent. After taking a shower, she pulled on the outfit Kadai had given it to her to find that, besides the fact that she could hardly breathe, it fit.

As she came out of her room, she met Kadai coming out of the bathroom, and ended up getting dragged into the silver haired girl's room. Kadai's walls were painted a dark gray and had a black border at the top. Her furniture was stainless steel and black, and her window was hidden behind black curtains.

She was pulled into a sitting position on the floor and Kadai went after her eyes with her black makeup. She first applied black eyeliner to the bottom of her eyes and then brought it out to a point a few centimeters away from her eye, then connected it on the top and brushed over it with a light coating of black eye shadow.

"Done." Kadai said, looking over her handiwork and smiled. "You're good to go. And so am I." Having had her makeup already Kadai, was ready to go as well. "Come on, the boys are going to start yelling if we don't hurry up."

"Alright." Ara followed her downstairs to meet up with the three boys who were all dressed the same way they had been when Ara had first met them. Kadai on the other hand was wearing the same black tube top from the last time along with the jacket, except she had on a black leather miniskirt that, as she had told Ara defensively, had shorts underneath it.

"Are you two ready now?" Loz asked as the two girls walked past him on either side, both smacking him in the back of the head.

Loz stared at Ara who was smirking. "She hit me."

"It's about time." Kadaj muttered. "Come on. He paused as they all filed out the door. "Sephiroth! We're leaving!" No reply, but he new that he had been heard.

"So who's riding with who?" Yazoo asked.

"Ara and I are both riding one of the shadow demons." Kadai told him. Two of the creatures rose from the rocky ground and shook themselves free of dirt before lying down. "Ara, you ride horses, you should be able to ride these. They're the same almost. Except for the fact that they're much faster." Kadai informed her, strapping a belt around her that had a sword on it.

"Yazoo, did you give her a gun?" Loz asked.

"Yeah it's right here." Yazoo pulled out a gun identical to his and handed it to her. Ara began her usual check over to make sure it was in working order, only to be interrupted as Kadaj slid a belt around her waist and tightened it so it was loose on her waist but didn't fall past her hips.

Sliding the gun into the holster on the left side of the belt Ara swung her leg over the left side of the shadow demon and it stood up, not even fazing her. She rearranged herself on it's back until she was seated behind it's shoulder blades and lay down, gripping the twin spikes that stuck out of it's neck.

Kadai watched her slide into place as she mounted her own demon assuming the same position. "We ready boys?" She asked.

"Far as I know." Yazoo said pulling on his gloves then looking up at Ara. "You want a pair of gloves?" She pulled a pair out of her back pocket and slid them on, tightening the strap on the back, before lying flat again.

"Let's go them." Kadaj said getting on his bike and starting it up, the other two following suit. The tree drove forwards and Ara and Kadai's mounts bounded off after them, quickly gaining on them and running alongside each other at the front by Kadaj.

"You know, I think my brother likes you." Kadai told Ara over the sound of the demons pounding feet and the roar of the motorcycles.

"Why do you say that?" Ara asked, turning her head to look at Kadai.

"He put the belt on for you didn't he?" Kadai said, grinning at her.

"Ever heard of just helping someone?" Ara replied.

"I still think he does. Besides, he offered to take you by you're old town without you saying anything." Kadai added.

"So what?" Ara asked.

"Do _you _like _him_?" Kadai inquired slyly.

"I won't deny or admit it." Ara said smugly.

"Well I have an idea." Kadai said evilly. "How about you and Kadaj go to your home town by yourselves. That way, you get to spend some time with him alone."

"You're just trying to hook me and him up so you and Yazoo aren't the only couple in the house." Ara threw back jokingly. Kadai sulked for the rest of the trip.

When they reached a hill that overlooked a small village nestled in the valley they stopped. The shadow demons were nervous and fidgety, constantly moving as their riders stood on the ground next to them.

"This is our target." Kadaj told them. "Remember, don't kill anyone unless they attack you. We're only here to keep up Sephiroth's name, not to kill. Ara, I want you and Yazoo on both the west and east side, keep them in. If they do attempt to leave, give off a few warning shots near their feet and then hit them in the foot if need be."

"What side do I take?" Ara asked.

"The west side. You can get there quicker on one of those." Kadaj indicated the shadow demon that was pawing at the ground with its clawed feet. "Yazoo, take the east side, the one closer to the cover of the rocks. Ara, you should be perfectly safe if you stay against the demon. Their hide is impenetrable. When you see the red flare shoot up, get back here. Kadai, Loz, you two know what to do. Now then, lets go."

Without waiting for it to kneel down, Ara grabbed the spike on the demon's neck and swung up onto it's back, perfectly balanced. "Alright, Ara. Head around the outskirts, try and stick to the cover of the rocks until you reach the other side."

She nudged her mount with both heels and it leapt forwards off the cliff, landing perfectly before she directed it through the rocks and around to the far side of the village. A part of her knew that this was a terrible thing to do, but the geostigma was for once not doing anything harmful. If anything, a warm tingling sensation was spreading from her shoulder through her whole body.

She brought the creature out of the rocks and they stole forwards, stopping a few hundred yards from the village entrance. She watched the edges, her eyes sharp and picking up any movement that was there. There was silence for a while until a woman's scream broke the quiet.

Ara felt her muscles tense and her hand flew to her waist. Closing around the gun, and pulling it out, making sure it was loaded and looking back to the village to see three people running out towards them. Ara raised the gun and took careful aim at the ground about 2 feet from them and fired. The first one reeled back in terror as the second and third continued forwards. Ara was slightly confused. What was wrong with these people? If someone had fired a gun at her feet she would have turned tail and run.

But they were still coming. She aimed at the ground again and fired twice. The people went around it. Ara bit her lower lip. She didn't want to shoot anyone in the foot but she had no choice. Bringing the gun up she pointed it at the foot of the tallest figure and fired.

He went down. But the other one, a young girl about 12, stopped and helped him up. Ara suddenly didn't know what she was doing. She was on autopilot. She edged her demon towards them and shot the girl in the foot, but she kept going. Well Kadaj had left out what to do now.

Her demon bounded in front of the two cutting them off, as Ara held the gun pointed at them.

"Go back into you're village. Now." Was that her voice? It sounded so different. So foreign.

"Sephiroth will never over run our village. We will fight." The man told her.

"You will go back to your village unless you want me to kill you." She pointed the gun at his head.

In reply the man pulled out a gun and aimed it at her. Ara didn't even flinch, though on the inside she was shaking. She thought back to what Kadaj had said and without even thinking about it, she raised her gun and shot the man in the forehead.

**Hahahaha! I attempted a cliffhanger and I think I suceeded. /Looks at Kadaj and Loz who are both hitting Yazoo with Malets. Yazoo continues rambling on about random stuff/ Anyways, reveiw if you please. No flames, or I'll take Sephiroth's book away and blame it on you. **

**Sephiroth: Why do you make such rediclous threats? **

**Audra/Shrugs/ They seem to be working I havn't gotten any flames yet. **

**Sephiroth/goes back to book/**


	12. Chapter 12

**I know I should have waited longer to update and let the cliffhanger, but we got Yazoo to calm down so this is a sort of celebration. **

**Sephiroth: Play any loud music or make any noise and I'll kill you all. **

**Audra: And yet he never looks up from the book. Yazoo! **

**Yazoo: . **

**Audra: Never mind. Loz do the disclaimer. **

**Loz: What about Sephiroth? **

**Audra: If you want to make him do it, be my guest. But frankly I like where my head is right now thank you. **

**Loz: Good point. Audra Kaiba does not own Final Fantasy which mean that- /Audra holds up ducktape and rope/ Never mind. **

The girl screamed in fear and fell to her knees beside her father as a red flare shot into the air. The demon growled at the two at its feet, before turning on its own and bounding back to the cliff.

Yazoo and Kadaj were already there and she could see Kadai and Loz fighting off a few villagers who had attacked them. Kadaj looked up from watching as Ara slid off her demons back and dropped down beside him. He took one look at her face and knew what had happened.

"Ara." He touched her arm gently. She didn't move, or even look at him. Kadaj sighed and pulled her against him, realizing she was shaking. "Ara, you had no choice." He told her softly, running a hand through her hair.

Yazoo glanced over. His brow furrowed with concern and question. "Did she-," He began. Kadaj gave a nod and gave him a look that told him to be quiet.

Kadaj held Ara for a few moments longer until she took a deep breath and pulled away. Her eyes unreadable.

"You going to be okay?" Kadaj asked her.

"I'll be fine. It was just kind of strange. And it still is. But, I didn't feel anything and I still don't. No remorse. No hatred. No sadness." She looked at him. "I'm shocked that I did something like that, but I don't really care."

Loz and Kadai suddenly came up and they first of all noticed Kadai's foul mood. She was seething with rage, and from the jagged cut across her cheek, they more or less knew why. Kadai suddenly looked at Ara and her eyes widened. Kadaj looked at his sister and shook his, head telling her not to say anything.

"Ara, do you still want to go through your home town?" Kadaj asked.

"Yeah." She said, turning to look at him, back to her old self.

"The rest of us are going to go on home, you two can go ahead. You can handle it, can't you Kadaj?" Kadai asked.

"Just as long as her mother doesn't attack me." Kadaj replied, starting up his bike.

"I can't make any promises." Ara said, climbing on behind him.

"Do you want to call first?" Kadaj asked as they pulled onto the highway.

"I'll call Emily and Charlene and tell them to meet me at my house when we get closer. I want to surprise my mom." Ara replied. She then added under her breath, not wanting Kadaj to hear. "I just hope my dad isn't home."

Kadaj heard her but said nothing about it. "Are you going to be able to stay awake? It'll take a few hours to get there so you can sleep if you want."

Ara laughed. " I wouldn't mind sleeping. But I'll end up falling off. I'm not going to chance it."

Kadaj suddenly pulled off the road and stopped the bike before getting off. "Move up." He told her.

"What?" Ara lifted an eyebrow but moved up. Kadaj climbed on behind her and reached around her and placed his hands on the handlebars.

"How is this going to work?" Ara asked, feeling a light blush creeping over her face being against him.

"Just lean back and sleep, I won't let you fall." He assured her, starting up the bike and pulling back onto the deserted road.

"Kadaj I don't think that this-," Ara began.

"Just sleep. Trust me, I won't let you fall." Kadaj assured her, glancing at her briefly before turning his eyes back to the road.

Ara leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes, almost instantly falling asleep.

"So why are we having Kadaj and Ara go alone?" Loz asked Kadai who was riding behind Yazoo.

"Don't you get it?" Kadai asked.

"Get what?"

The silver haired girl sighed exasperatedly. "It's obvious that they like each other subconsciously."

"Subconsciously." Yazoo pointed out. "How do you know your trying to kindle a flame that doesn't even exist?"

"What I mean by subconsciously is that they don't know it yet." Kadai rolled her eyes. "Every time Kadaj gets close to her, Ara becomes uneasy, and when he makes contact with her, even brushing past her, she blushes."

"And how do you know Kadaj likes her?" Loz asked sardonically.

"He's makes such easy conversation with her. He barely talks to you or me Loz. The only person he talks to is Yazoo and that's rare." Kadai pointed out.

"So he's friendly around her. Whats your point?" Yazoo asked.

"Oh never mind." Kadai sighed. "I don't know why I try to explain these things to you two."

**So what do you think? Like it, Hate it. I don't care. Flame me you die by Seph's blade. **

**Sephiroth/twitches/ What did you just call me?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sephiroth: How dare you call The Great Sephiroth such an absurd name! **

**Audra: This is my disclaimer, I'll call you whatever I damn well want to! **

**Yazoo: How long do you think this is going to last? **

**Loz: Probly about till Chapter 14. Popcorn? **

**Kadaj: Oh boy?Sometime I wonder if I'm the only sane one here. Audra Kaiba owns nothing but her OCs**

Ara had to think a moment when she woke up. She was more or less comfortable, but there was a cool wind blowing against her and the hum of an engine. Where was she? She finally opened her eyes and it all came back to her as she saw the road rushing past. But what had woken her up?

"It's about time." Kadaj said.

"What do you mean?" Ara asked.

"I've been trying to get you to wake up for about 10 minutes. We're just outside your city." They passed a road sign. "Now inside the city."

"I should call Charlene and Emily." Ara said, yawning.

"Did you sleep well?" Kadaj teased.

"Pretty much. No dreams that I can recall. Good or bad. Though that voice is still there muttering things." Ara reported.

"Mother." Kadaj said.

"What?" Ara asked.

"Mother. That's who's talking to you. She only speaks to you in your dreams, that's a good sign. It means that your one of her remnants. Not just Sephiroth's." Kadaj replied.

"Is that a good thing?" Ara asked.

"Yes. It means that as soon as you except what you are doing and what she's telling you to do, your geostigma will heal." Kadaj informed her. "I'm going to have to stop at a gas station and refuel the bike. You can call then."

Ara was completely confused with this whole 'Mother' business, but she decided not to say anything more about it. They reached a gas station a few minutes later and Ara was quite relieved. She got off and stretched her arms above her head and managed to get the kinks out of her back before popping her neck.

Kadaj looked at her and smirked. "Only downside of sleeping on a motorcycle. You get stiff."

"Noted." Ara muttered. "I'm going to run inside you want anything?" She called over her shoulder as she walked away.

"No, I'm good." Kadaj replied, leaning against his bike and watching the fuel pump lazily. His gaze wavering to watch the passing cars on the main road.

Ara prowled through the shelves searching for anything that caught her eye. She needed some sort of food. She finally gave up on her decision making and snatched a Snickers off the shelf. She turned around and ran into someone.

**Kadaj: And they're still at it. Reveiw for Audra Kaiba's sake, maybe that will distract her from this battle she's never going to win. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Yazoo: Okay this is boring. They've been at it for almost two whole chapters! **

**Loz: You're right. I'll go split them up. **

**Yazoo/mutters/ Your on a suicide mission. Anyways, Audra Kaiba only owns her OCs. Hey wait where's Kadaj? **

"Sorry." She said quickly looking up and meeting a pair of bright blue eyes. Her eyes widened and most of the color drained from her face.

"Ara? Good Lord, how have you been? Charlene told me you had to go someplace for treatment. What disease is it again?" Pete asked, his sandy blonde hair reflecting the sunlight streaming in the windows.

"It's called Geostigma." Ara said, just wanting to get out of here. Pete had never been good about breakups. She had seen what he had done to other girls. They had been roughed up pretty bad, and he had even put one in the hospital.

"So what is this I hear about you wanting me to move on?" He inquired. "You're not really leaving me are you?"

"Well you see that's the problem. This treatment I'm getting, I have to be a ways away, and I don't think the relationship would work." Ara said weakly.

"So you are breaking up with me." He noted, his eyes becoming colder now.

"Yes." Ara said, pushing past him and setting her candy bar on the counter. She paid for it and headed for the door, knowing Pete was right behind her. She emerged onto the pavement outside and Pete grabbed her upper arm and spun her around to face him.

"Do you know what happens when someone breaks up with me? You remember what happened to Kelsey don't you?" He sneered.

"Pete let me go." Ara felt a familiar twinge from the stigma and the voice crept into her mind and told her to break free of his grip and fight back. The voice also told her to trust it, and let it control her movements.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere bitch. You're going to find out what happens when you play me." He snarled.

"I'm going to tell you one more time to let me go." Ara felt the adrenaline rushing through her veins and gave in to the voice.

"I'll let you go when I get good and ready to." He growled.

"I warned you." She was on the move suddenly, surprising herself. She twisted out of his grip and dropped down kicking his legs out from under him and darting to the side as he lashed out at her.

"What the-? Ara!" She heard Kadaj's voice.

"How dare you." Pete spat standing back up and glaring at her.

Kadaj approached and sent a glare back at Pete. "Let me guess, your ex-boyfriend?" He inquired.

"I've got this, you don't have to do anything." Ara told him.

"So this is what you left me for?" Pete asked.

Ara reacted suddenly; lunging forwards and punching him square in the face. Kadaj gave her a slightly surprised look as Pete stumbled backwards clutching his nose and looking as shocked as Ara felt, though she had a very intimidating look on her face.

"I'll get you for this." He hissed.

"Not if Mother chooses to end your life." Ara growled, watching him turn and go back to his vehicle.

"Well that was different." Kadaj noted, watching the red and white Ford drive away.

"Yeah. I don't know what came over me though. She told me to let her control the situation and I did." Ara said thoughtfully. "Anyways." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Charlene's number. "Are we ready to go?"

"When you are." Kadaj replied as they walked back to the motorcycle.

"Hello?" Charlene answered the phone.

"What's up?" Ara said casually.

"Oh my god! Ara! Emily its Ara!" Charlene yelled.

"WHAT!" Emily yelled I the background.

Ara heard the unmistakable sound of Emily picking up another phone. "You two seem happy to hear from me."

"What happened to calling everyday?" Emily snapped, unable to subdue her excitement.

"I've been busy." Ara replied, looking at Kadaj who snorted. "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything." Kadaj said.

"Whatever."

"Ara who are you talking to? It's one of those dreamy guys your with isn't it? Oh my god, that one with the short silver hair is so hot!" Charlene droned.

"Oh come on Charlene, I thought you wanted the one with the long blue hair." Emily said.

"Good point."

"Hey you two, I'm in town right now. Want to meet me at my house in about 20 minutes?" Ara interrupted.

"YOU'RE IN TOWN!" They both yelled.

"Yes. I'll see you guys in about 20. Okay?"

"Got it." They both hung up.

"They seemed a bit hyper." Kadaj muttered starting up the bike.

"It'll be even worse when they see me." Ara told him, getting on behind him.

**Loz: Ahhhh! I didnt mean it! **

**Audra: How dare you iterupt me from such an important argument/Chases Loz around room/ **

**Yazoo: O.o?**

**Sephiroth: Good, I can go back to my book now. /glares at reader/ Reveiw. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Alright. Everything is back to normal. Yazoo is bored. Sephiroth is reading. I'm calm. Loz is tied up in a closet somewhere (except I told Sephiroth where he is this times so it's his fault if we cant find him) And Kadaj is lost. two beats WAIT A MINUTE! Kadaj is missing? Runs out of room to find Kadaj. **

**Yazoo: Is this just my designated job? This is the last time.Audra Kaibaowns nothing but her OCs.**

"I'll just sit right here." Kadaj told her when they pulled up and parked in front of her house.

"I don't think so." Ara retorted. "If I have to face my mother so do you. I promise I won't let her kill you."

"I'm not going in." Kadaj replied stubbornly.

"Don't make me drag you." Ara said, crossing her arms and gazing at him expectantly.

"Fine." Kadaj, not wanting to be seen being dragged, got off the bike and walked up to the front door with her.

Ara rang the doorbell and waited patiently, Kadaj muttering a number of threats under his breath. The door opened and Ara came face to face with her mother.

Lynette took one look at her and quite literally jumped on her. "Ara! My God. You never called. Why not?"

"I've been busy. I've been trying to get rid of the stigma, and it's time consuming." Ara replied trying to pry her overjoyed mother off of her.

"And I see you brought Kadai with you." Lynette looked at Kadaj who gave her a horrified look.

"Um mom, this is Kadaj. Kadai's brother." Ara reminded her, choking back her laughter at Kadaj's outraged expression.

"Oh, my apologies. Where's Kadai?" She demanded.

"She was busy. One of our other people got in a wreck and she escorted him to the hospital." Kadaj lied easily.

"A wreck?" Lynette visibly paled.

"It was nothing to serious. Some idiot pulled out in front of him and ran him off the road. The only thing that pains him is his arm. We think he might have pulled a tendon." Ara told her.

"Right. Well come in, I'll call Emily and Charlene." Lynette ushered them inside.

"I already did that. They should be here in about 5 minutes." Ara told her.

"I'll call your father down. He's home this week." Lynette said, walking up the stairs. Ara visibly cringed.

"Is everything okay?" Kadaj asked quietly.

"My father isn't going to be pleased about me leaving." Ara replied. "I just hope that with you here he won't do anything."

"Like what?" Kadaj asked.

Ara shook her head as her mother came back down stairs with a man who was unmistakably Ara's father. He was roughly 54, with dark brown hair and piercing brown eyes, and his facial features were identical to Ara's. He was tall, about 6 feet, with a strong well-built figure.

Ara took a step back as his eyes landed on her and narrowed. "Ara. It's good to see you." He walked down the remaining steps and embraced his daughter. "And who is this?" He looked coldly at Kadaj.

"Dad this is Kadaj. He's the main one that's helping me with my sickness." Ara introduced him. The two shook hands and were clearly not pleased about meeting each other.

The front door suddenly burst open and Emily and Charlene pounced on Ara nearly strangling her. Kadaj sighed and sent Ara a, 'I'm not helping you' look. Ara's father, who's name is Henry for future reference, was gazing at the three girls with a quite stunned expression.

"You are here. You weren't kidding. We thought you might have been playing a prank on us!" Emily screamed joyously.

"I told you she wasn't lying." Charlene told Emily.

"Um, guys, I can't breathe." Ara told them, managing to pry them off of her.

Charlene chanced a look at Kadaj who was watching the whole scenario with a raised eyebrow, and then turned back to Ara quickly when Kadaj met her eyes. Ara snickered.

"What?" Charlene demanded.

"Nothing." Ara said. She looked over at Kadaj and met his eyes a smirk on her face. Kadaj obviously realized what she was telling him and frowned.

Emily looked between the two and suddenly whispered something in Charlene's ear. They both looked at Ara. "We need to talk about something." They both grabbed one of Ara's arms each and dragged her up the stairs.

"Hey what the-? Come on guys." She protested as she was dragged into her bedroom.

"Alright spill it." Emily said stopping and turning to face Ara.

"What?" Ara asked.

"There are some serious sparks flying between you and that guy down there." Emily said.

"What? Kadaj? Are you out of your mind?" Ara demanded.

"You're the one out of your mind if you can't see it." Charlene told her. "It's so obvious." Ara gave her a bewildered look.

"Oh no. I understand now." Emily said suddenly, moaning.

"What are you talking about?" Ara asked.

"You like him and you don't even know it. Oh how I pity you." Emily said sympathetically.

"You're crazy." Ara told her friend laughing slightly.

"No we're not. We saw that connection that you two had down there." Charlene told her. "You like him, you just don't know it. And if I'm right he likes you as well."

"Okay, I'm going to pretend we never had this conversation." Ara said, unplugging her laptop and taking it off it's place on her desk and sliding it into it's carrying case. She then rolled up the charger and stuffed that in as well.

"Just trust us on this one." Charlene said smiling.

"Whatever. I just need to go down and make sure my dad and Kadaj aren't trying to kill each other" Ara said, shouldering the bag her laptop was in and walking out the door.

**Okay I found Kadaj. He was trying to claw throught the front door. (I have 7 combination locks on it. Don't ask.) Anyways. I have some bad news. I'm leaving for Boston on Monday! No joke. I have this reunion in Maine and there are supposed to be at least 200 peple there. So sadly I won't be able to update for at least a week. It's terrible. I'm so sorry. But I am taking my laptop with me so I'll be able to get a load of chapters uploaded when I come back. Some of you may be asking what will happen to Kadaj, Yazoo, Sephiroth, and Loz while I'm away/Evil smirk/ **

**Yazoo: We're free? **

**Audra: No. You all get to go with me.**

**Sephiroth: Are you kidding me? I'm not going anywhere. **

**Audra: We'll see about that. Well while I think about how I'm supposed to get these four on the plane without getting killed, mourn for me and get reay for a whole bunch of chaptes. Again, I'm really really sorry, but a McLachlan has to do what she has to do. And skipping a reunion is not one of those. I'm so sorry. **


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm back! **

**Kadaj: Doesn't that line have a trademark on it? **

**Audra: Ignore him. We've been home for almost a week and he's still mad that I wouldnt let him have the window seat. Stillcompared to some this is nothing. Sephiroth went and locked himself in the basement and tries to slice anyones head off that goes near the door. ( They wouldn't let him carry his sword through the airport so he had to leave it home. I still made him go.) **

**Yazoo: Can we get on with it? **

**Audra: Do you want to do the disclaimer? **

**Yazoo: Whatever. AudraKaiba owns nothing except her OCs. Happy? **

Ara came back downstairs with Charlene and Emily still muttering about connections and such, and entered the living room where her parents were talking to Kadaj who looked very uncomfortable with the entire situation. Ara fought back a smile as she took a seat next to him on the couch and looked at her parents as Emily and Charlene sat in two chairs across the room.

"So what has the conversation turned to?" Ara asked cheerfully.

"Um, well Ara, I really must ask you," Her mother bit her lower lip. "What are you wearing?"

"Oh this." Ara said, then noticing the glares Kadaj was getting as though it was his fault. "I bought this at a clothing store, don't you like it? It was on sale for only 25 dollars."

"It's a bit to revealing." Lynette said quietly.

"A bit to revealing? It's hardly clothing." Henry said angrily. "If you ask me he put her up to it." He jerked his head at Kadaj whose eyes narrowed threateningly.

"He had nothing to do with any of this. Do you actually think I would let someone else tell me what to wear?" Ara asked casually.

"She has a point Henry, just drop it." Lynette told her husband.

"Stay out of this Lynette." Ara's father snapped standing up and glaring at Kadaj who was watching him with a calm look on his face, minus the slits he now had for eyes.

"I can't believe you would think that I would stoop to such a level." Ara said standing up to, her own anger rising as fear did as well. Her father was not one to be crossed when he was angry. She mentally asked Jenova for help but the voice only told her to wait it out and stand up to him. Help would come.

"I know what I'm seeing, and don't you dare talk back to me." Henry snarled walking towards his daughter.

Ara stayed where she was, to scared to move. She had really done it this time, now she was going to get it. She begged Jenova's help but she was told that help was coming, in the mean time keep up the strong act.

Kadaj saw the fear flash in Ara's eyes and his own widened as he realized what was going on. He started to get up, but Mother told him to stay where he was, Sephiroth was on his way and would not allow a hand be laid on Ara.

"I didn't talk back, I was only defending myself like I should have after all these years." Ara said irritably. Where was this coming from? This courage was not something she was used to.

"How dare you." Her father walked right up to her and glared at her. Ara saw his hand rise and mentally braced herself as she watched it swing upwards towards her face. She closed her eyes tightly, awaiting the blow, but it never came. Instead her father's cry of pain was all that broke the silence. Opening her eyes, Ara saw her father doubled over clutching his hand that was bleeding. Ara looked to her right her eyes widening.

**Hahahahah! A cliffhanger take that/Tries to do Karate kick and looses balance and falls on Yazoo/ **

**Yazoo: Alright people, reveiw the stupid chapter. Audra get off me. **

**Audra/Out cold/ **

**Yazoo: Oh boy. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Holy shit... I have been gone for far FAR too long. College. That is my only excuse. It hit me in the face my freshman year and I'm finally bouncing back haha anyways the wait is over! (if any of you reading this are the original readers of when I first posted the damned thing. I'm sorry!) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except Kaia and Ara. **

Opening her eyes, Ara saw her father doubled over clutching his hand that was bleeding. Ara looked to her right her eyes widening.

Sephiroth stood diagonally from her, his sword extended drips of blood falling from the tip. Everyone was in too much shock to move. All except Henry who was glaring at Sephiroth who stood tall and proud as he stared the man down a few small black feathers drifting down to the floor around him.

"Who the hell are you?" Henry demanded. "And why the hell are you in my house?"

"You won't harm her." Sephiroth said quietly and coolly.

"My daughter is none of your concern." Henry growled back.

"As your daughter she is not, but she is my remnant and I won't let harm come to her." Sephiroth growled.

"Your remnant. Get out of my house." Henry commanded. "Or I'll throw you out."

"Do you really wish to fight me in the state your in?" Something of a smirk was playing across Sephiroth's features. "Because I'll have you know, I have no problem with killing you here and now."

"You wouldn't do anything to me." Henry proclaimed straightening up and giving Sephiroth a smug look.

"Charlene, Emily get Lynette out of here." Kadaj said to the two girls seeing the slight flicker of a blood lust in Sephiroth's eyes. They reacted instantly, pulling Ara's horrified mother from the room. "Ara go with them." She didn't respond. She couldn't move nor speak. She was fixated on her father facing off with a powerful warrior. "Ara."

"You say that. But you don't know me." Sephiroth sliced the air an inch from Henry's head. "Kadaj, take Ara home. I'll finish this up."

"Yes sir." Kadaj replied. "Ara come on." He lightly pulled her away and out the front door and somehow managed to get her to get on the motorcycle and head home.

"What is Sephiroth going to do?" Ara asked weakly when they left her town behind.

"I don't know. I really don't. I figure that he'll warn your father not to touch you again and if he fights him, Sephiroth will kill him." Kadaj replied. They were silent for a time. "How long?" He said quietly in her ear, she was riding in front of him again since she was in danger of passing out.

"What?"

"How long had your father been beating you?" Kadaj asked.

"Since I was four." Ara whispered. "Can I just sleep?"

"Go ahead." Kadaj gently told her.

Ara awoke in her bed and found it to be the next morning. She shuddered as she thought about what had happened the previous day. It had been too much in one day. Glancing around the room, Ara's eyes landed on her laptop case that was by her door.

Standing up she crossed the room and found a note sitting on it.

_Sephiroth brought it back with him. Can you actually see him carrying a computer bag? Don't worry everything is fine at your house. See you when you wake up. _

_-Kadaj _

Ara had to admit, thinking about Sephiroth carrying her metallic silver and purple computer satchel was pretty funny. It suddenly clicked in her mind how she had gotten upstairs. Kadaj must have carried her up. And that meant Kadai was going to go berserk. Ara sighed and rolled her eyes.

'Perhaps I do like him.' She pondered over this as she placed the bag in a corner or her room and grabbed a change of clothes before heading for the bathroom. After showering and changing Ara walked downstairs, not bothering to dry her hair. Kadai and Kadaj were seated at the kitchen table talking and looked up when she walked in.

Kadai smiled warmly at her. "So how did you sleep?"

"Like a rock. And I'm still exhausted." Ara mumbled, folding her arms on top of the table and resting her chin on them.

"Your probably stiff as a board sleeping on a motorcycle can do that to you. And sleeping against-," Kadai jerked her head at Kadaj who was taking a sip from his own coffee cup. He felt her eyes on him and looked up at her darkly. "Do you want a cup of coffee?" Kadai offered instead of finishing her sentence.

"Sure." Ara replied. Kadai dug another coffee mug out of the cupboard and filling it up.

"Cream or sugar?"

"Neither, I take mine black." Ara replied rubbing her eyes. "Ah. Why can't I wake up?" She took the cup offered to her and took a sip, relaxing almost immediately.

"Did you get the note?" Kadaj asked.

Ara choked on her second sip of coffee as she snorted. "Yeah I got it. And no I can't. It's just not his color." Ara replied. "Though I am grateful he brought it back with him. Where is he by the way?"

"There's no telling. He has about three places he stays in the house. The library, his office, and his room, and we're all forbidden to go in any of them." Kadaj told her checking his watch. "Oh boy. We have to go. Loz, Yazoo, and I all have to take our motorcycles in to have them checked for damage and reregistered. See you two later. Unless you want to come with." He looked mainly at Kadai who glared at him.

"Hint something like that again and I'll rip your tongue out. And no, I'm staying here. Or do you want to go Ara?" Kadai replied.

"I'm staying here." Ara replied lazily. "I intend to sleep most of the day."

"Right. See you two later." Kadaj said and walked out.

Kadai listened for a moment until she heard the front door slam shut, the garage door open and the roar of the motorcycle engines as the three boys left. Just for verification she peered out the kitchen window above the sink, then turned back to Ara and sat back down at the table. She watched Ara with a small smile on her face.

"So, did you have fun sleeping against my brother?" She asked slyly.

Ara felt herself blush. "Don't tell me your going to go on about this connection thing that Kadaj and I supposedly have."

"Connection? There is no _connection_." Ara mentally thanked whatever power was above her. "There is a serious bond."

Ara rolled her eyes. "You are worse than Charlene and Emily. They were ranting about connections yesterday."

"You see, it's that obvious. He likes you, you like him. Jeeze if those two nutcases realized it before you have you really are in denial." Kadai said leaning back in her chair and taking a sip of coffee.

"Nutcases?" Ara pondered over this for a moment or two. "That's a good word to describe them. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Don't change the subject." Kadai said.

"I'm not." Ara replied.

"Are to." Kadai raved.

"I'm not going to argue about this with you." Ara said reproachfully, though she was smiling.

"I win. Yet again." Kadai said smugly.

Ara stuck her tongue out at her before taking a sip of her coffee. "So what do you have planned today? I get the feeling your not going to let me sleep."

"Well I had wanted to go into town and pick up a few things but the boys have all the motorcycles which, oddly enough, are our only modes of transportation." Kadai looked thoughtful. "We need an SUV. Perhaps a black Dodge Truck."

"You want a truck?" Ara asked.

"No, a black Escalade. Or Yukon. One of the two." Kadai said instead.

"So you want a large SUV?" Ara confirmed.

"Yes. I like that idea. I'll confront Sephiroth about it later."

"Confront me about what?" Sephiroth asked, strolling in silently and causing Kadai to tumble off her chair and end up on her butt on the floor.

Ara looked down at the dazed silver haired girl and snickered. Kadai shot her a glowering look before getting back to her feet and sighing.

"I was going to ask you about getting an Escalade." Kadai told Sephiroth.

"What happened to the Yukon?" Ara asked quietly, causing Kadai to fix her with a 'shut-your-mouth-before-I-sew-it-shut' look before looking back at Sephiroth.

"Why do you need an Escalade?" Sephiroth inquired calmly, leaning against the counter and folding his arms across his chest.

"Well we only have motorcycles, and if we ever bought anything in town that was large we have no way of getting it home." Kadai said quickly.

"You have a good point, but you can pay people to bring it out here." Sephiroth pointed out.

"Do you think that's how your fans got your address?" Ara spoke up suddenly.

Sephiroth looked quite stunned at this notion and blinked a few times, looking as confused at Sephiroth could. "I never thought of that." He muttered, looking at Ara. "Thank you, I'll start finding people that have low firewalls and sue them."

"Um, your welcome." Ara chanced.

"Not at all." Sephiroth looked back at Kadai. "Now for this Escalade idea," He paused. "I don't think an Escalade would fit. What are those others called? Yukans?"

"Yukons?" Kadai asked.

"Yes, those. I'll get on line and look up the prices." He turned and walked out, as quietly as ever.

"Does he ever remind you of a cat?" Ara asked.

Kadai blinked at her. "Well that was random." She bit her lower lip. "But truthfully he does. With those green eyes, and the stealthy and silent way he does everything. He is sort of like a cat."

**No worries. Everything that I have of this fic will be uploaded today and tomorrow. I have it almost done. Just have a minor problem of how I want to link the events at the end with what I have right now :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I own only my OCs **

Ara stretched as she stood up from sitting on her bed. She had been online chatting with people on MSN for no reason. She had had one person ask her out, and another tell her that they were in love with her. She was used to it by now, visiting chat rooms for almost 6 years, and causing so much trouble in some of the smaller ones, they banned her.

She smirked to herself. The last chat room she had gotten thrown out of, she had gotten into an argument with someone about what kind of salad dressing was better. Needless to say…she won with Ranch. A knock came at the door and she muttered a 'come in' before yawning.

"Well someone should consider going to bed." Yazoo noted.

"I'll get around to it." Ara said then gave him a quizzical look. "What do you need? You don't usually come by my room. Now Kadai's room I could understand but…." She trailed off and smiled as Yazoo's face flushed.

"I need your help with something." He said urgently.

"What?" Ara asked. Yazoo asking a favor, this was new.

"Well, you see Kadai's birthday in a few days and I am clueless on what to get her." This time he got a 'you-have-got-to-be-kidding-look'. "Help me please."

"Alright. What do you want me to do?" Ara asked.

"Could you figure out her favorite flower and favorite color? Please?" Yazoo looked completely hopeless at this point.

"Okay fine." Ara sighed. "Do you want my honest opinion on a gift to?"

"Sure." Yazoo replied eagerly.

"Get her a Yukon. She was bugging Sephiroth about it today." Ara told him.

"A Yukon? What does she want one of those things for?" Yazoo asked.

"She's sane unlike some, and doesn't want to freeze to death when the weather drops below zero." Ara replied.

"Right- hey wait a second!" Yazoo sent her a semi-glare. "Anyways, thank you." He closed the door and left.

"This could prove interesting." Ara noted, switching off her light and going to sleep.

"Ow." Yazoo moaned as he landed with a thump at the bottom of the stairs. Having not turned any lights on while the house was still dark, he had tripped on the stairs and rolled all the way down.

"You really should try and keep your balance." Kadai told him pointedly as she walked down behind him.

"How long have you been up?" Yazoo asked brushing himself off.

"About an hour. Though you probably woke up Kadaj with the loud crash you made when you tripped." Kadai looked him over, smirking. "You really screwed up your hair." She walked forwards and brushed a loose lock of hair back into place. "You really should consider tying it back."

"I would prefer not to. It's to much of a hassle." Yazoo muttered.

"So why are _you _up so early?" Kadai inquired.

"Um…" Yazoo looked very uncomfortable. "I was going to um… I was going to go into town."

"For what?" Kadai asked.

"Nothing you should worry about." Yazoo told her.

"Can I come with you?" Kadai asked, taking a step closer to him.

"I was…well…" He trailed off and appeared to be thinking.

"Never mind. I don't want to go anyways." She said quietly meeting his eyes. "I'll see you when you get back." She kissed him briefly before turning and going back upstairs.

Ara awoke to her cell phone ringing shrilly. She pulled the pillow over her head. More ringing. She finally gave up and reached out and snatched it off the bedside table. Flipping it open she sat up rubbing her eyes.

"Hello?"

"What are you up to?" Reno asked sounding fully awake.

"Do you realize what time it is?" Ara demanded looking over at the digital clock that read 5:30.

"Um no. But anyways, how have you been?"

"Asleep." Ara grumbled.

"Oh come on, you need to learn to get up early. After all you do have an appointment with Rufus today at 3." Reno said.

Ara sat bolt upright, suddenly awake. "What?"

"You heard me. I think Kadaj is supposed to bring you in. Rufus wants to talk to him. But anyways, you'd just better be there." Reno told her.

"Did Kadaj know about this?" Ara inquired not wanting to tell him.

"He will. Rufus is calling him as we speak. So I guess I'll see you this afternoon." Reno said.

"Whatever. I'm so going to get you back for this." Ara hung up. Getting out of bed she changed into a change of clothes and walked downstairs. She had taken a shower the night before so her hair was silky enough to do what she wanted it to do as she pulled it back.

Kadai was in the kitchen reading a magazine when Ara walked in and she glanced up briefly immediately taking note of Ara's stingy mood.

"Alright what's wrong?"

"I have to go to Shinra with Kadaj. For some reason Rufus wants to talk to both of us. Reno didn't give me details." Ara reported filling a glass up with orange juice and draining it.

"Well at least you get to spend time with him. You want to don't you?" Kadai inquired gently.

"I do, but I just-," She stopped, thinking over what she just said and turned slightly pink. "I just said that didn't I?"

Kadai nodded weakly trying to subdue her laughter, but failed.

"What is so funny?" Kadaj asked sideling into the room.

Ara's face turned even pinker and she turned and walked out of the room muttering about shooting herself. Kadaj stared after her with a bewildered look on his face.

"What did I do?"

"Nothing." Kadai squeaked falling off her chair and descending into sidesplitting laughter. "Nothing at all."

"You do realize that you are a horrible liar don't you?" Kadaj asked pouring himself a cup of coffee. "By the way do you know where Yazoo went, he's usually up by this point." Kadaj glanced outside the kitchen window.

"He said he was heading into town for something." Kadai reported, pulling herself back into her chair and trying to catch her breath.

"Into town?" Kadaj looked at his sister and lifted an eyebrow. "What for?"

"He didn't say." Kadai replied regaining her posture and picking up the magazine again.

"Well anyways, Rufus Shinra has called in me and Ara to a meeting. He said he got a tip off that Ara is in danger." Kadaj told her.

"What?" Kadai stood up suddenly, her eyes widening as her magazine slipped off the table and crashed to the floor.

Kadaj nodded grimly. "I bet it has something to do with her father."

"But how would he pose a threat?" Kadai asked.

"I don't think Sephiroth got his point across. I also wonder why Rufus isn't calling in Sephiroth instead of me." Kadaj said quietly.

"Well you'll find out soon enough. Just be careful okay." Kadai said to her twin. Kadaj nodded once his blue/green eyes fixated on thin air.

Ara was idly flipping the silver key chain on her belt when Rufus's secretary, who had been flirting with Kadaj for the past hour, told them to go in.

"Good so you made it." Rufus said, standing up from his desk and watching the two as they approached.

"We've been here for an hour and a half." Ara said dryly.

"Rough day?" Reno asked walking through the door behind them with Rude and causing them to turn.

"Shut up. It's your fault I'm tired." Ara grumbled, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Hey cheer up, you're here with us aren't you?" Reno asked, one of his smirks in place.

"How does that cheer me up?" Ara asked smiling slightly as the red head walked up beside her. "How've you been Rude?"

"Fine." He replied.

Ara lifted an eyebrow and muttered to Reno. "Is he always so…anti-social?"

"Yep. That's just Rude's way of showing he cares." Reno chirped causing Ara to roll her eyes as she sat down in one of the chairs in front of Rufus's desk.

"Why are we here?" Kadaj said getting straight to the point as he sat down next to her and looked expectantly at the young president.

"Ara is in danger." Rufus told him darkly. "Her father got in contact with Cloud Strife somehow and they're all hunting you four. Sephiroth mainly."

Kadaj's eyes narrowed. "I told him he should have let me handle it."

"I was only protecting my remnant." Said a familiar voice from behind them. Ara jumped as she turned and ended up in a very familiar position on the floor. On her butt.

Reno snickered in the background as he watched Ara pull herself back to her feet. Ara sent a pouting look at Sephiroth who smirked but otherwise ignored her, looking directly at Rufus.

"So you did come." Rufus noted. "I didn't think you'd want to."

"Yazoo and Loz beat those two practically to a bloody pulp why would I be worried." Sephiroth's eyes slid to Reno and Rude who both shifted uncomfortably. "I could decapitate them in a manner of seconds."

Ara felt her muscles tense. Was he going to hurt Reno?

Sephiroth's eyes locked on Reno and he frowned slightly, before looking to Ara and then back at Rufus his eyes unreadable, yet his face showing the first signs of confusion.

"So you were telling the truth." He said to the blonde male behind the desk.

Rufus nodded and looked at Ara who lifted both eyebrows and looked at Reno who appeared stumped.

"What?" Ara asked.

"We have found some interesting information." Rufus said. "You being hunted by Cloud isn't the only reason you're here." He pulled out a folder and began flipping through it. "Are you aware that Lynette and Henry are not your real parents?"

"You're joking right?" Ara said weakly.

"I am not. Your real parents are dead and have one other descendant besides you. And he's standing in this room." Rufus said, looking up at her with a serious gaze.

"What are you talking about?" Ara asked.

"Reno, Ara, is your older brother."


	19. Chapter 19

**Audra: Ara! **

**Ara: What? **

**Audra: You and Kaia do the disclaimer please! **

**Ara: Why? **

**Audra: /pauses half way out the door/ Because Yazoo took my herbal tea and I want it back. /Darts out of the room/**

**Ara:...**

**Kaia: Wow...**

**Ara and Kaia: Audra doesnt own anything but us. And her herbal tea...**

Ara looked like she was about to faint, while Reno was in danger of having his eyeballs fall out. Kadaj was slightly perplexed, while Rude was showing the slight sign of surprise. Sephiroth on the other hand, looked bored.

"So on the other subject," Rufus began as if nothing had happened. "You, Kadaj, are going to have to keep a close eye on Ara. I'm sure the other three will do their part as well. Sephiroth, you might want to tighten security on the house and make sure no one is followed back."

Sephiroth looked at him with a 'are you stupid?' look, before disappearing, a few black feathers spinning where he had been. Ara was still in shock as Kadaj stood up and practically had to drag her out the door.

"It's not possible." Ara muttered. "There is no way he's my brother. We don't look anything alike."

"Well now that I think about it, you kind of do." Kadaj told her. She glared at him. "What? I'm just telling you the truth."

"Hey what is that?" Ara pointed to a motorcycle that was heading towards them.

"Shit." Kadaj jumped on his bike. "Hurry up!" He started it up and Ara barely had time to get on behind him before he barreled out of the parking lot.

"Who is that?" Ara asked him.

"That is Cloud." Kadaj replied

"Who's- Oh the one that's after me?" Ara inquired.

"You sure your not blonde under all that brown hair?" Kadaj said as they turned sharply on to the highway causing several horns to be blared at them.

"We're going the wrong way!" Ara yelled.

"No we're not, we can't let him follow us back." Kadaj reminded her. "Do you have your cell phone?"

"Yeah why?" Ara asked pulling it out of her pocket.

"Call Kadai tell her that we-,"

"Why call me?" Kadai asked as she and Yazoo appeared beside them, Loz on the other side.

"How long have you been following?" Kadaj snapped.

"Since you left Shinra. Yazoo came back and I told him and Loz where you two went and why. Then Mother told us to get to Shinra because you needed us." Kadai relayed.

"We'll take care of Cloud, you get Ara back home." Yazoo said.

"Yeah, we can handle the porcupine no problem." Kadai reassured her brother.

"Alright, but be careful. And if he follows you back, you'll have to answer to Sephiroth." Kadaj told them.

The two motorbikes next to them slowed down and then turned to face Cloud before heading straight for him. Ara turned to watch in time to see Kadai leap off Yazoo's bike and land on the front of Cloud's slashing at him with a her sword until he knocked her backwards with his own.

Ara was about to call out that Kadai was going to get left behind but Loz cut across and she landed perfectly balanced behind him before jumping back to Yazoo's bike as said remnant started firing at Cloud.

"Hang on." Kadaj told her. He turned off onto another intersection that held a few constructions cones and a sign that said do not enter.

"What are you doing?" Ara asked as she saw the unfinished road stop up ahead.

"Just hang on." Kadaj said as the motorcycle flew off the end.

Ara closed her eyes and held tightly onto Kadaj. They hit the ground hard, and slid down the embankment, Ara still clinging to Kadaj, for dear life. The bike jumped the last couple feet and they entered the ruins of a different part of Midgar.

Kadaj slowed down and stopped, cutting the engine. "Are you okay?"

"Just a little shaken up." Ara replied quietly. "What was the point of that?"

"To get away from Cloud. He won't be able to get here very fast with the other three after him." Kadaj reassured her.

"As the saying goes, never send a man, to do a woman's job." Came a cool voice.

Looking up, Kadaj and Ara saw a young girl standing on the slanted roof of one of the demolished buildings. She was tall and thin, with sparkling blue eyes, and straight light blue hair with sapphire streaks in it that reached to her waist. She was dressed in a tight red corset top and black leather pants that were equally tight and a black cloak that drifted around her though there was no wind at the time, and covered her right arm.

"Who are you?" Kadaj demanded, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"So you aren't your sister." The girl noted calmly. "That's to bad, I would have loved to fight her." She dropped down and landed silently on the ground in front of them.

"Who are you?" Kadaj repeated.

"It's a shame you don't remember me Kadaj. My name is Kaia Strife, sister to Cloud." Kadaj pulled out his sword. "You have nothing to worry about, I couldn't care less about fighting you. And unlike my brother I have no interest in taking the girl." Kaia nodded to Ara.

"Then what do you want?" Kadaj lowered his sword but didn't sheath it.

"As I said, my only wish is to fight Kadai. But since she's not here I should go." Kaia's eyes rested on Ara for a moment.

"Why do you have no interest in me?" Ara asked.

"You don't seem to mind being with this group. Why would I want to take you from the people you have learned to trust?" Kaia replied smoothly. "Besides, I see straight through your father. He doesn't care about you at all, why hand you over to him?"

Ara looked slightly taken aback. "But why? Isn't he offering money?"

Kaia closed her eyes and smiled slightly, bowing her head. "He is. But money isn't everything. To have money, but to take someone away from where they feel they belong to get that money… that makes no sense. But Cloud, he doesn't care about the money either. He's driven by rage to kill Sephiroth. And he can't understand that taking you away from this group is not what you want." She looked back up at them. "I will try and talk to him. But if Sephiroth is back, he won't stop until he kills him."

"But Sephiroth isn't back." Ara told her hurriedly.

"Don't try and fool me, I won't fall for it and I witnessed the resurrection myself. But Cloud might, he has a history of being delusional." Kaia smiled again. "Tell Kadai I'm looking for her." With that said, she jumped into the air and leapt across the roofs before disappearing.

"What a strange girl." Ara noted.

"She wants to fight Kadai?" Kadaj muttered, sheathing his sword and getting back on the bike.

"Has she fought her before?"

"She's fought Cloud, I remember her now. Cloud and his group found Kadai when she was first on the run from Shinra herself. They began to trust her and she in turn used Cloud to learn what happened to myself, Yazoo, Loz, and Sephiroth." Kadaj told her as they drove out of the ruins and pulled onto another road.

"What happened to you four?" Ara asked.

"We were killed. Cloud killed Sephiroth, and killing Sephiroth in turn killed me because he had used my body as a vessel. Loz and Yazoo where sent back to the lifestream because Sephiroth had failed his attempt to take over the planet." Kadaj said grimly.

"But you're alive now." Ara said. "How?"

"Kadai was a Caller. She could bring back the souls of the dead and give them life again by playing a flute. It was really creepy."

Kadaj and Ara arrived home to find Kadai in a seething mood. When they walked in the door they found Kadai sitting in a chair in the kitchen while Yazoo cleaned a deep gash in her arm with alcohol. Kadai's face was a mix of annoyance, pain, and anger. Anger was no surprise seeing as how Sephiroth was standing nearby clearly amused, while Loz was snickering in the background.

Kadaj sighed and his sister glared at him. "What did you do now?"

"It's not my fault!" The silver haired girl snapped.

"Cloud slashed out at her and she lost her footing as she jumped out of the way." Yazoo told Kadaj, and got hit over the head with Kadai's good hand.

"Shut up!"

"I'm just telling it how it happened now hold still." Yazoo said impatiently as he began to wrap the gash in bandages.

"You ever get alcohol near me again I'll rip your throat out?" Kadai growled.

"If you get hurt again, Kadaj can dress the wound. I'm not putting up with your twitching." Yazoo replied giving her one of his, 'be-quiet' looks.

"Whatever." Kadai grumbled.

Sephiroth suddenly stepped forwards and pressed a glowing orb to her arm. Ara watched, fascinated, as the ball descended into her skin and her arm began to glow.

"What was that?" Kadai asked, blinking repeatedly.

"Healing materia." Sephiroth told her. "Your arms in better condition now than it was."

"Why didn't you do that to begin with?" Kadai almost yelled.

"It was interesting to see how you took to the rubbing alcohol." Sephiroth said as he walked out the kitchen door.

"Why you-!" Kadai was cut off as Yazoo secured a hand over her mouth and pulled her against him.

"You do not want to finish that sentence." Yazoo told her quietly.

"How much you want to bet she does?" Kadaj asked, lifting an eyebrow as his sister struggled against her boyfriends grip.

Kadai made a muffled noise and they all stared at her.

"What?" Yazoo asked. "Shit!" He exclaimed drawing his hand away quickly and rubbing it. "She bit me."

Kadai smirked. "That's not the only thing I'll do if you do that again."

Ara rolled her eyes. "I'm going upstairs." She turned and left noticing that Kadaj watched her until she was out of sight.

"Would you get this stuff off of me?" Kadai asked tugging at the gauze.

"Fine. But no more biting." Yazoo told her warningly.

Ara sighed as she walked into her room and turned on the light. The day had certainly been eventful. Now she had an older brother, and people chasing her. Just wonderful.

A flash of red caught her eye and she whirled around just in time to have a chloroformed rag clapped over her mouth, then she lost consciousness.


	20. Chapter 20

**I'm so proud of myself for getting all this uploaded in one night. **

**Kadaj: You know if you hadnt slacked off then-**

**Audra: Dont be an asshole. **

**Kadaj: ...**

**Audra: I dont own anything except Ara and Kaia. **

"Ara would you come on, your dinners getting cold." Kadai called knocking on the door to the girl's bedroom. "Ara?" She opened the door slightly and looked around. "Ara?" The young remnant wasn't in the room. All the color drained from Kadai's face. "Kadaj!"

She turned and ran downstairs skidding into the kitchen and nearly falling over.

"What's wrong?" Kadaj asked.

"It's Ara. She's gone." Kadai reported.

"What?" The three other remnants stood up.

"She's not in her room and I haven't seen her since you got home." Kadai told them.

"I'll get Sephiroth." Yazoo turned and left the kitchen.

"You don't think she ran do you?" Kadai asked.

Kadaj shook his head. "No. She wouldn't. I know that for a fact."

Sephiroth came in with Yazoo, his green eyes flashing dangerously. "What is this about Ara missing?"

"She's not in her room. I think some one might have taken her." Kadai told him.

"And you're sure you weren't followed back?" Sephiroth asked both Kadaj and Kadai.

"Positive. The only person we saw other than Cloud was Kaia. Do you think-," Kadaj began.

"No." Sephiroth cut him off. "Kaia wouldn't interfere. I know she wouldn't." He suddenly looked very concerned and began barking out orders.

"Kadai, you and Yazoo go back to her old home and see if she turns up there. But stay low; if her mother finds out, we're screwed. Loz wait here and see if she comes back. Kadaj, I want you to go into Midgar and see if you see any of Cloud's group. If you do, follow them to wherever and phone in the coordinates to me. I'm going to go let Shinra know. Reno and Rude will be concerned."

"Yes sir!" The four replied.

Ara could hear voices around her.

"I told you to leave her alone!" One said

"After I had already gotten her." Another said.

"Good work Vincent, now we can figure out where they are." Said a third.

"Cloud shut up. She wants to be with them can't you see that?" Said the first.

"Hey! She's waking up." A fourth voice caused the others to fall silent.

Ara's eyes opened slowly and she blinked a few times looking up at the people around her. There were four of them. One was the girl she and Kadaj had see earlier, the one standing beside her had blonde hair that seemed to defy all laws of gravity and with a shock she realized he was the one from earlier. Beside him was a girl dressed in a black vest that appeared to be leather and shorts with some type of cloak thing around her waist. The last was a man who was standing a ways back, his long black hair covering half his face as his red cloak drifted around him in an unseen breeze.

Ara sat bolt up right her hand flying to her belt where her gun was. Her pupils slit suddenly and the girl from before held up her hands.

"It's okay we're not going to do anything." Ara didn't remove her hand from her gun. "Look, I've talked with them like I said I would and I got back a little late. Vincent here," She jerked her head at the man in the red cloak. "Wasn't here to hear me and captured you anyways."

"Vincent, where was she?" The blonde asked.

"Vincent don't you dare tell him a thing." The bluenette girl snapped, turning away from Ara and becoming deadly in an instant.

"I suppose we should introduce ourselves." Said the girl in the black. "I'm Tifa and that is Cloud, and Vincent. And you obviously already know Kaia."

"Where am I?" Ara demanded.

"Seventh Heaven. It's a bar in Edge the sister city to Midgar." Tifa told her.

"Midgar?" Ara's eyes narrowed. "Not this place again."

"Again? You've been here before?" Cloud asked.

"I used to live here you walking stake pit. Now take me home." Ara snapped, her eyes flashing to a blue/green before fading back to brown.

"I can't do that." Cloud informed her.

"Vincent. Take her home." Kaia said.

"I'm not doing anything." Vincent replied darkly. "I went and got her. If you want her to go back you can take her."

"Vincent." Kaia groaned.

"She's not going back until we get where Sephiroth is out of her." Cloud said loudly.

"You will leave Sephiroth alone." Kaia told him crossly.

"Will someone just get me out of here?" Ara growled, drawing everyone's eyes back to her. "I would like to get out of here before they come looking for me and destroy half the city in doing so."

"What?" Cloud asked.

"You numbskull." Kaia hit him over the head. "Don't you get it? Sephiroth and the others will come looking for her and will attempt to kill us all when they find her."

"I've killed Kadaj before I can do it again." Cloud snapped back.

"Don't mind them." Tifa told Ara as she sat down on the arm of the couch. "They're twins so they fight a lot."

"They're twins?" Ara asked, looking between the two. They looked nothing alike.

"I know it's hard to believe. Kaia used to be a remnant of Jenova and the cells altered her appearance." Tifa informed her.

"She's a remnant?" Ara asked, shocked.

"Used to be. She cut off her own arm to remove the Mako and Jenova cells from her body. You notice how there's no resistance in her cloak." Tifa watched as Ara cringed. "I've heard what Kaia said, is it true that you like being with Sephiroth and the others?"

"I would rather be with them, than any other place in existence." Ara replied.

"So she wasn't lying." Tifa breathed. "Well then I see no reason why we should turn you over to your father. Now all we have to do is convince Cloud." She looked at the blonde and sighed. "That could take a while."

Suddenly the door banged open and Ara stood up with Tifa. Reno and Rude emerged from the cloud of dust that the door had caused. Reno's eyes landed on Ara and he strode across the room until he stood next to her.

"You alright?" He asked. She nodded. "Good." He turned to look at the group that was staring at him. "Sorry to crash the party, but I don't allow my little sister out after dark." He said calmly.

"Little sister?" Cloud asked, staring at the red head that had secured an arm around Ara's shoulders and was leading her towards the door.

"Oh gods she is." Kaia said. "She looks almost just like him if you look really closely."

"This is ridiculous." Cloud said. "Reno leave her here we still have to figure out where Sephiroth is."

"No can do Spikey. Sorry. I'm under strict orders to take her home." Reno said, feigning sympathy.

"Orders from who?" Cloud demanded.

"Rufus himself told us to find her and bring her in." Rude said.

"Well she's not-,"

"Cloud!" Kaia cut him off. "Ara wants to be with that group. Let her go. Besides her biological brother has more hold over her then her adopted father does. Or even us for that matter. Let her go."

Cloud looked as though he was about to protest when Tifa rounded on him as well. "Think about it Cloud. How would you like it if I was forced to go with Kadaj's group?"

"That's different." Cloud muttered.

"How!" Both Kaia and Tifa demanded.

"Come on." Reno escorted Ara out of the door and Rude closed it as he followed them out.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Reno asked Ara as he handed her a glass of water.

"I'm fine. Seriously." Ara replied, gratefully accepting the water and draining it quickly.

"The others are on their way to pick you up." Rude said walking back into the Turk's lounge where Reno had been fussing over Ara for the past 10 minutes.

"Who did you call?" Ara asked fearfully.

"Yazoo. I'm not dumb enough to call Kadai, she'd go all psychotic on my ass, and as far as I know Sephiroth doesn't have a cell phone." Rude replied.

"What happened exactly?" Reno asked.

"Well we left here and Cloud ended up chasing us. Kadai, Loz, and Yazoo showed up and kept him occupied as Kadaj and I took a back way home. We met Kaia on our way but she didn't interfere. Then we went home, found Kadai in a bad mood and I went to my room. That one creepy guy in red…what's his name?"

"Vincent?" Rude and Reno said at the same time.

"Yeah him. He was in the room and I ended up with a chloroformed rag over my mouth." She explained.

"Vincent did?" Reno asked, his eyes nearly falling out of his head.

"Yep. But from what I hear, Cloud told him to do it." Ara informed him.

The door suddenly burst open and a silver and black blur streaked in before Ara had all the wind knocked out of her. Gasping for air Ara tried to pry her fellow remnant off of her.

"Kadai, I can't breathe."

Kadai finally released her and looked her over her eyes frantic. "Thank Mother you're alright. Did they do anything to you?"

"No I'm perfectly fine." Ara assured her.

Yazoo walked in the door and seemed to relax as he saw the two girls. Loz and Kadaj came in behind him and Ara saw Kadaj's glowing eyes soften when they met her own.

"Are you alright?" Yazoo asked. Walking forwards and checking her over, his eyes resting a moment on the bruise on her upper arm.

Ara noticed where his gaze was and pointed a finger accusingly at Reno who was standing next to her. "His fault. He tripped me coming out of the elevator."

"I did no such thing." Reno retorted indignantly.

"Did to." Ara snapped back.

"We are not arguing over this." Reno muttered crossing his arms defiantly and glaring at the wall to his left.

"I see everything is back to normal. For the most part." Rufus Shinra said, walking in the door Loz had left open.

"What is normal?" Ara muttered under her breath.

Rufus pretended not to hear her. "So how did Vincent get in?"

"Good question." Kadaj replied. "The security camera's don't even show him being there."

_Security cameras! _Ara screamed to herself. _In my room! _

"You moron, he's a vampire." Kadai said. "Of course he wouldn't show up on film." She shook her head at her brother's stupidity.

"He's a what?" Ara asked fearfully. Hoping she had heard wrong.

"Vampire." Kadai shrugged. "Don't ask me how he ended up that way."

"A vampire came into my room and chloroformed me in broad daylight!" Ara asked incredulously.

"Far as we can tell. Oh come on don't tell me you actually believe all that nonsense about them being allergic to sunlight." Kadai said rolling her eyes.

Ara dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her compact mirror and began checking her neck for puncture wounds.

"Nice job Kadai. Now she's even more terrified." Yazoo muttered.

"Ara chill out. He won't have done anything. He refuses to hurt anyone unless he knows for a fact that they're bad. If he did harm you in any way, not only would Kaia kill him, he would never forgive himself." Kadai told her.

The entire population of the room stared at her.

"And you know this how?" Ara asked.

"I was stuck with them for almost 6 months. What do you expect?" Kadai grumbled, glaring at Yazoo who had risen on eyebrow.

"We'll just ignore that." Kadaj muttered. "Now do you have any pointers on how to tighten security?" He inquired of Rufus.

The young blonde president shook his head slowly, his blue eyes dancing as he thought harder.

"Don't hurt yourself." Kadai muttered.

"Kadai. Be nice." Kadaj scolded her quietly.

"The only thing I can say to do is keep an eye on Ara at all times. Don't let her go anywhere in the house alone and see how many knives she can keep on her during all her waking hours. Kadai you might want to keep guard at night by staying in her room. If I remember correctly Kadai, you are a very light sleeper." Rufus glanced at the silver haired girl who was glaring at him.

"Having been stuck in a tank and sedated for most of my life wanting to be awake, I would think I would be. For fear of getting another Mako shot." Kadai snapped.

"We'll do all we can." Kadaj said. Then added quietly. "I just hope it's enough."

"Good luck. You should all be getting home. There's no telling who's out to get you tonight." Rufus told them.

"Good point. Alright you all, let's move." Kadaj announced.

"Yay, back to the bikes." Kadai muttered. "Why can't we just go 'poof' like Sephiroth can?"

"Because we're not direct descendants of Mother." Yazoo told her. "You should know this by now Kadai."

"Shut up." She growled.

"He's right." Loz said.

"It's not fair." Kadai fumed.

"Be careful." Reno said, hugging Ara who managed to get away from him and follow the others out.


	21. Chapter 21

**Poor Ara, I put her through so much. **

**Ara: Its ok, I enjoy most of it. **

**Kaia: You are ENTIRELY too positive. **

**Kadaj: Ahhhhhhhh! It's Kaia. **

**Sephiroth: Breathe. **

**Audra: Sephiroth if you will?**

**Sephiroth: Audra owns only Kaia and Ara. Although I may challenge her about her ownership...**

**Audra: shit...**

"So you're alright then?" Sephiroth asked Ara who was curled up in a chair in the library, a mug of hot tea in her hand.

Sephiroth had brought her into the room to talk to her and locked the others out. It was a bit of a cross between a library and a computer room. Three large monitor screens were placed above a desk set in the far corner of the room and took up almost half of the wall.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just a little shaken up. A vampire coming into my room is not a normal experience for me." Ara admitted.

Sephiroth frowned and walked over to the screens. "I still would like to know how he got in. And how he got out with you. The cameras don't show anything. Even you disappeared."

"And exactly why is there a camera in my room?" Ara grumbled.

Sephiroth's eyes turned on her and she took a large sip of tea, burning her throat.

"So what's going to happen now?" She asked.

"We boost security. I'll activate the magnetic locks on the windows and doors. Install the keypads on the doorways and phones. Kadai and you need to stay together at all times no matter what." Sephiroth growled low in his throat. "I can't believe that they infiltrated my house."

Outside Kadaj and Yazoo looked at Loz and Kadai who had their ears pressed against the door.

"You do realize it's soundproof right?" Kadaj asked.

"Shhh!" Kadai said.

"Those two are hopeless." Yazoo muttered.

A knock suddenly came at the front door. The four remnants looked at each other. The library door opened and Loz fell over as Sephiroth and Ara walked out. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed as the knock came again.

"Loz get the door. Kadaj, Yazoo stand, on each side of it. Kadai, station yourself on the stairs and jump them if they charge." The four took their places as told and Sephiroth and Ara shrunk back into the shadows of the halls, Ara's hand resting on the gun at her side, while Sephiroth made sure he was standing in front of her.

Loz opened the door and was instantly knocked backwards. The door flew open and flattened Yazoo. Kadaj leapt out at the hooded figure that streaked in and was thrown over their shoulder, hitting the door and crushing Yazoo even more. Loz jumped back to his feet only to be knocked into the kitchen. Kadai sprung forwards and the figure barely avoided her as the female remnant flew past her and hit the wall, shattering the mirror that covered half the wall.

"Enough!" Sephiroth snapped. Walking forwards. Ara followed behind him. "Kaia what the hell are you doing here?"

The figure's hood fell back to reveal the blue haired girl Ara recognized immediately. Her blue eyes were like cold pools of ice as she met Sephiroth's own eyes.

"I came to make sure she got back alright. And I felt like beating the shit out of your remnants." Kaia replied.

"Mission accomplished." Loz moaned from the kitchen.

"How did you find us?" Kadai spat, standing up, glass falling off the back of her leather jacket she hadn't taken off yet.

"I'm connected to Sephiroth by a blood bond. I can find him anywhere." Kaia replied. "Don't ask me how Vincent found you. Perhaps he sniffed you out." She shrugged. "I do want you to know that I am doing everything in my power to keep Cloud away from you Ara. But he's stubborn and won't rest until he eradicates Sephiroth." Kaia informed them.

Sephiroth scoffed. "I'd like to see him try."

Kaia raised one blue eyebrow. "Let's see, he's killed you how many times again? At least three."

Sephiroth scowled at her.

"I just came to tell you that you shouldn't have any trouble with anyone except Cloud and your father himself." She was still talking to Ara more than to anyone else.

"Thank you." Ara said quietly.

"No problem. Take care of her Seph." Kaia smiled at Sephiroth's death glare at the childish nickname Kaia had deemed him with almost 7 years before. Kaia smiled at Ara, icy blue meeting light brown before she burst into flames and disappeared.

Kadai blinked a few times.

"Did she just-?"

"So she picked that up to." Sephiroth said. Kadai looked at him quizzically. "I helped train her to disappear into thin air. I'm glad to see she mastered it."

Kadai frowned at him. "And you let her go?"

"Why wouldn't I? I would trust Kaia with the lives of any of you." Sephiroth told them.

"But she's Cloud's sister!" Kadai spluttered.

"And my closest friend." Sephiroth added.

"That's one hell of an understatement." Loz muttered.

Green eyes turned on him.

Ara lifted an eyebrow at Kadai who was snickering. "I'll tell you later." The silver haired girl mouthed.

"I cant take this anymore." Ara moaned, flopping back on her bed as Kadai sat on the windowsill. The silver haired girl looked at her curiously. "I hate not being able to go anywhere."

Kadai smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry about all this. I do wish that we could do something. Even I'm starting to get antsy." She drummed her fingers lazily against the glass.

There was a soft knock on the door and Kadai tensed slightly. Ara rolled her eyes and moved to open the door. She blinked a few times, slightly stunned as the set of green eyes met hers. They stared at each other for a few moments before Sephiroth spoke.

"You and I need to go." Both girls stared at him. "Don't ask questions, just come on."

"Um, ok." Ara turned and walked to her closet, pulling out her jacket and slipping it on. She walked back to where Kadai was looking curiously at Sephiroth who was pointedly ignoring her.

Sephiroth looked at Ara and reached out, grabbing her arm, both of them disappearing. They reappeared on the roof of an abandoned building in the ruins that Kadaj and Ara had landed in before.

"Why are we here?" Ara asked, looking around and shivering slightly at the creepy landscape and cool breeze.

"I got a call from Kaia. She said Cloud was hunting for us. I don't know that he would have come close to the house, but I wanted you out of it if he did. There is the possible chance he will come here though." Sephiroth told her.

"I'm sorry to be such a complication." She said softly, pulling her coat tighter around her.

Sephiroth wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him, his eyes still scouring the area. "Don't take this out of proportion." He warned her. "Its too cold for you to be up here with only that jacket on, and this makes sure that I know where you are." He never looked at her once, but did narrow his eyes at something on the horizon.

"What's-," She never finished her sentence as Sephiroth transported her into a room of one of the buildings. A sleeping bag and a couple of pillows were already set up in the corner. She looked around, noting the view from the window. "Safe house?" She guessed.

"Something like that." Something of a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"So…I can sleep then?" Now that she thought about it, Ara was awfully tired.

He nodded, watching her the whole time she walked over to the sleeping bag and when she curled up underneath it. He even noticed when she closed her eyes and her breathing evened out.


	22. Chapter 22

**Ara: So what did Sephiroth drag Ara off for? **

**Kadai: /Shrugs/ legal documentation of creating us. Hey why does she leave me out of the disclaimer all the time? **

**Kaia: No idea. You and Kadaj are practically the same person. Maybe she forgets. College fried her brain remember? Too many parties too many drugs. Too much-**

**Ara: Alright thats enough. Audra only owns myself, Kaia and of course Kadai **

Ara awoke the next morning to a very strange sight. She was still in the sleeping bag, in the same place she'd been. Sephiroth however was a sight to see. He was sitting right beside her. His head resting against the wall while he propped one leg up, letting the other stretch out before him. His sword, in all its long ass glory was at his side closest to her, the dull edge facing her. The sunlight streaming through the window and between the boards, caught his hair and made it shimmer, also playing odd patterns across his smooth ivory skin.

She couldn't stop looking at him, nor stop wondering at his very beauty. Suddenly his emerald eyes flew open and he leapt to his feet, causing Ara to jump. He glanced down at her, before moving swiftly to the window. It was then that Ara could hear the voices as well.

"I'm telling you this is the last place they'd come." A western drawl said.

"And I'm telling you this is the only place we haven't looked." Ara gasped softly. That was Cloud's voice.

Sephiroth turned on his heel and motioned her to get up, she stood hurriedly but silently and moved the pillows and sleeping bag back the way she'd found it. Sephiroth nodded twice and set down two materia on it causing them to sink into the fabric. Ara knelt down and pressed a hand to the material, finding that it was as cold as the room was. Sephiroth had by then moved to the door, setting two blazing red materia at the top of the doorway and at the very base where it opened.

Ara looked up at him as he walked back to her. He pulled her against him with one arm, still holding Masamune in the other hand, and they teleported again.

Ara opened her eyes, for she had taken to closing them when they teleported, to find herself in Rufus Shinra's office. The man who had been sitting opposite Rufus's desk gave the pair of them a terrified glanced and sprinted from the office, dragging a briefcase out with him.

"Now you're scaring my business partners." Rufus accused good naturedly.

"Sorry." Ara mumbled.

"I didn't like him anyways." The presidents face turned serious. "There must be a reason your both here. What's wrong?"

"Clouds searching, way outside the limits too. I took her to Midgar last night when he strayed to close our way, but he and that mechanic friend of his pulled up this morning." Sephiroth relayed, he turned to Ara. "Go to the waiting lounge and call Kadaj, tell him where we are."

She nodded and walked out the door, surprising the secretary who gave her a disgruntled look and went back to typing on the computer. Ara ignored her and instead walked on towards the elevators, pulling out her cell as she did so. She was just dialing the number when she heard someone call her name. Looking up she saw Reno and Rude coming around the corner and down the long hall towards her, Reno grinning like a Cheshire cat, as usual.

At the same time, the elevator in front of her opened. She gasped, finishing the number and hitting the call button, trying to get the phone to her ear before the blonde managed to grab her. She failed, dropping the phone as she fought to get away.

"Sid get the chloroform!" Cloud yelled, wincing as Ara kicked him in the shin.

"Hey!" Reno protested, running towards them, his nightstick already out.

_Ara! Ara! _Ara could hear Kadaj's frantic voice from her speaker.

"Kadaj its Cloud!" Ara yelled towards the phone, before a rag closed over her mouth and she was dragged backwards into the elevator.

"Ara!" Reno yelled.

Ara managed to get away from the rag for a few split seconds, managing to scream before the elevator doors closed completely.

Sephiroth heard the scream and whirled out the door, with a slam reaching Reno and Rude who were frantic. Reno was on the phone, trying to lock down the building and Rude was trying to calm the red head's nervous pacing.

"So he got her then." Sephiroth growled.

"Yes." Rude replied grimly.

Sephiroth turned and walked over to pick up Ara's phone, which was buzzing. He teleported back to the house, seeing Kadaj pacing the kitchen. The silver haired remnant stopped, staring at Sephiroth before closing the phone.

"Did they?" He asked quietly.

Sephiroth nodded. "But rest assured, we'll get her back. You forget that I've got Kaia on the inside."

"Let me go!" Ara shouted, fighting against the ropes that bound her to the chair in the middle of the warehouse.

"Sid can you gag her or something?" Cloud snapped irritably.

"Your turn. I had to tie her up when she was coming back around, damn near took my leg off." Sid told him.

Cloud massaged his forehead. "I cant contact her father until tomorrow. I guess we're just going to have to leave her here."

"What are you going to do about Kaia? Didn't you say she would be a problem."

"We're not telling her anything." His eyes hardened. "That means you cant say a word to her no matter what she does to bribe you."

Cid mumbled to himself a for a few moments.

"You have no idea what you've gotten into." Ara hissed, though it was Jenova that was speaking through her this time. "They'll find you and they'll shred you to pieces."

Cloud ignored her but Cid was looking from her to Cloud looking off guard. "Cloud maybe we should take her somewhere else."

"Don't let her get to you." Cloud told him, opening a door and walking out. "You coming or are you gonna stay here with her?" Cid jumped up hastily and hurried out the door. Cloud flicked switch and closed the door leaving Ara in complete darkness.

Cloud opened the bar door and was flattened face first against the wall within seconds, a flash of blue and black being the only indicator as to who was holding him. "Where did you take her?" The murderous voice demanded fiercely.

"Kaia!" Tifa exclaimed somewhere behind them.

"Kai, let him go nice and easy and we can talk about this." Cid said soothingly trying to calm her.

Cloud heard her response when he felt her shift slightly behind him and there was a crash followed by Cid's groaning.

"Where is she Cloud?" Kaia snarled, her voce as cold as he knew her eyes would be.

"Somewhere you don't need to know." He ground out, his face still somewhat smooshed into the wall. A blade found its way to his throat and he heard Tifa's sharp intake of breath.

"Tell me. Now."

"Im not telling you anything, little Sister." Cloud snarled. "Now let me go."

"Kaia, you cant kill your own brother." Vincent's voice flowed over them and Cloud felt the tip of the blade press harder into his skin, before it disappeared completely and he was suddenly released, stumbling backwards as the front door of the bar slammed shut behind Kaia's coat.

Cloud looked at Vincent and nodded. "Thanks."

Vincent glared at him, and took a step forwards. "The last thing your sister needs on her conscious, Cloud, is your death. I agree with her when it comes to that girl." He disappeared on the spot, in all probability going to help Kaia calm down.

"Did you get the read?"

"No. He's managed to block his mind from me. I don't know where she is Sephiroth. I cant get anything out of him." Kaia whispered into the phone. "I can follow him tomorrow but…"

Sephiroth appeared next to her suddenly, kneeling down next to her before all the feathers settled onto the ground. He pulled her up with him and forced her to look at him. "Ara, will be alright. She's Jenova's remnant. As soon as she can activate Jenova's cells again, we can find her. She's just like us Kaia. You and I can hear her."

Kaia managed to look up at him, looking stressed and disturbed. "How did we let him get her in the first place?"

"I slipped up. I let her out of my sight." Sephiroth admitted.

"I should have been with you, so both of us could watch her." Kaia muttered.

"No…. If you were with me, I couldn't have you following Cloud tomorrow when he tries to hand her over. You are an asset and of more help here than with me Kaia. Remember that." He kissed her once on the forehead and was gone. Leaving her to sit in the Forgotten City's silence by herself.

**Alright well that's as far as I have it so far... I've been...goin in circles about how I'm tying it in to everything else I've already written of the ending. Shoudlnt be too long before I get it up. **

**Genesis: You really are slacking. **

**Audra: How the hell did you get in here! You're not in this fic! And you're nuts!**

**Genesis: Thats no way to talk to a-**

**Audra: Yeah yeah we know we know. /Stalks off muttering about mako engineered psychopaths/**


End file.
